good morning. breaking news, secretary of state hillary clinton in high-level talks right now about the crisis in syria as nbc news learns the syrian military is awaiting final orders to use chemical weapons on its own people. what can the u.s. government do to avoid a catastrophe? dire warning. 26 days left until the deadline and a top official says the president is willing to go off the fiscal cliff if necessary. and some republicans signal they may be ready to give in on a key sticking point. and heading home, a smiling duchess of cambridge and prince william leave the hospital this morning, four days after she checked in with extreme morning sickness. we're live in london today,

thursday, december 6th, 2012. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah gurthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning, welcome to "today" on a thursday morning, i'm savannah gurthrie. >> and i'm matt lauer. nice images to see out of london over the past couple of days. we've been watching duchess of cambridge. she seemed a little shaky as she held the railing. we're going to have more on that story and, of course, the ridiculous prank played out by the deejays later on. >> good job, prince william with the flowers. a story we covered a few months ago. two bodies discovered in a wooded area in iowa on wednesday. while authorities believe they are the remains of two young cousins who vanished back in

july. on a different note, an important rossen report investigates for travelers. how thieves can easily get past the lock on your hotel room door. and this is really easy. >> very scary story. and then have you ever been to a restaurant and walked in and realized it is so loud you cannot hear the other people you are having dinner with? well, there's actually a reason behind this. we will explain. >> but on this thursday morning, we begin with the escalating crisis in syria. pentagon sources tell nbc news that the syrian military has chemical weapons locked and loaded and they're just waiting for the order to fire. let's go to nbc at the pentagon. mick, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. u.s. officials tell us that the syrian military is now prepared to launch chemical weapons attacks against its own pele. now, those sources say that the precursor chemicals to create that deadly sarin nerve gas have now been loaded on to aerial bombs at missile site depots and

that they have -- that could be dropped from war planes on to the syrian people. now, the u.s. intelligence detected a flurry of activity around the chemical sites earlier this week and then confirmed just yesterday that, in fact, the deadly sarin gas has been loaded on to those bombs. they stress, however, that as of now, the bombs remain in the depots have not been loaded on the planes and president assad has not given the fatal order to attack, matt. >> hey, mick, a few days ago, president obama warned the syrian regime, if you use chemical weapons, quote, there will be consequences, and you will be held accountable. talk to me about any viable military options the u.s. has at its disposal right now. >> the preemptive strike is pretty much limited. ground troops out of the question. as syria has one of the most robust air defense systems in the world given to them by the

russians. and cruise missiles could be launched but not against the missile sites themselves because that would indicate and could easily spread the deadly sarin gas. some have suggested, our, cruise missiles could be launched at regime targets. you know, but the solution to this may be occurring right now as we speak there in dublin where secretary of state hillary clinton is holding an unscheduled meeting with the russian foreign minister about syria. russia is syria's largest ally. if they can be convinced to withdraw some of that support, then it appears that the days for president assad's regime could be over. >> all right. mick, thank you very much. here's savannah. >> thanks. and we'll go to london now where the duchess of cambridge has been released from the hospital this morning as she recovered from a severe form of morning sickness. michelle kosinski has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. after experiencing at least four

days of the severe, relentless form of morning sickness, today duchess kate is feeling well enough to return home. about two hours ago, we saw prince william arrive. he's been spending each day at kate's side. but soon, both of them emerged. kate looking a bit tired but managing a sort of smile and holding a bouquet of yellow roses that staff here had given her. in a statement, the palace says she will head to kensington palace for a period of rest. and the royal highnesses would like to thank the staff at the hospital for the care and treatment the duchess has received. >> thanks, and i know you'll have more coming up, including an apology from those deejays who made that prank call to the hospital and found out about kate's condition. natalie's got a lot of the headlines over at the news desk. good morning to you. >> good morning, everyone. and we begin in kabul where karzai tells nbc news that the u.s. is not sticking to a signed agreement between our two

countries. nbc atia abawi spoke to president karzai. good morning, atia. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. president hamid karzai had strong words directed toward the u.s. and president obama about the future relationship with afghanistan. he says that the u.s. has violated the strategic partnership that the president signed last week. and he says it's a breach of afghan sovereignty. >> we signed the partnership agreement with expectation and hope that after signing the strategic partnership agreement the nature of the united states activity in afghanistan would change. >> reporter: u.s. casualties have dropped compared to 2011, but still 300 americans died in afghanistan this year alone. as for afghans, the united nations says that 3,000 civilians were killed from january through july. >> so who would you say is

behind the insecurity? is it al qaeda? the taliban, or someone else? >> part of the insecurity is coming from terrorism. part of the insecurity is coming to us from the structures that america created in afghanistan in the private security firms. the contractors that they promoted at the cost of afghan people. and the way they behaved with afghan people and the anger that has caused in the afghan people, and the resulting insecurity. >> would you say you believe that some of these would be intentional insecurity brought by nato in the united states? >> there is a very strong perception that some of that insecurity is intentional, yes. >> reporter: and when i asked him if he trusted the united states' motives in afghanistan he said, once bitten, twice shy.

natalie? >> thanks so much, atia. a new york city homeless man has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a man pushed in front of a subway train. 30-year-old naeem davis is being held without bail. he served two years in prison for robbery. on wednesday, the victim's family spoke out. his daughter says she wishes someone had helped her father off the tracks but said, quote, what is done is done. a candle light vigil in iowa on wednesday. hunters discovered two bodies that are believed to be the missing cousins, 11-year-old lyric cook and 9-year-old elizabeth collins. the girls last seen in july, disappeared while riding their bikes. computer software mogul john mcafee arrested in guatemala city for entering the country illegally. he said he had been seeking asylum there after fleeing belize where he is a person of interest in the shooting death of his neighbor. music legend dave brubeck is

being remembered today for bringing jazz to the people. he died just a day shy of his 92nd birthday. perhaps best known for his ground breaking hit "take five." ♪ that cut released in 1959 was on the first -- one of the first jazz albums to sell more than 1 million copies. and that song's still so rel vent to so many generations. 7:09 now back to savannah, matt, and al. >> used to play that a lot at my house. >> natalie, thank you. >> it was magic. >> that's cool. all right. let's get our first check of the weather the weather this morning. >> we are dealing with wet

weather. our friends in the pacific northwest, more pacific moisture coming on in. we are looking at another one to two inches of rain with anywhere from one to two feet of snow in the cascades. the mountains looking at six to nine inches of snow. we are looking at showers in the upper midwest with icy conditions in the u.p. of michigan. plenty of sunshine in southern california. look for showers along the southeastern atlanta coast into florida. plenty of sunshine. temperatures from five to ten degrees below average. that's what's going on around the country. we are going to get your local forecast after this.

good morning. cold dawn this thursday morning. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist tom kierein. coldest temperatures we have seen this december. low to mid-20s in maryland and west virginia. we are going to stay below freezing for a couple hours. by noontime, ought to be in the mid-40s with clouds coming and going. clouding up tonight. cloudy period from friday to the weekend. a slight chance of sprinkles with a high near that's your latest weather. here's savannah. new movement this morning to try and avoid the fiscal cliff. some republicans are considering abandoning their staunch opposition to higher tax rates according to recent reports. alan simpson was co-chair on the commission of fiscal responsibility. he's a co-founder of fix the debt campaign and joins us now.

senator simpson, good morning, it's great to see you. >> great pleasure to be off the witness protection program and come here. but what even more fun, david brubeck used to come to wyoming a great deal. he and his family, lovely people. i did not know he had passed. and to hear that music, it's iconic stuff. anyway. so it's good to sneak in and get made up, try to hide my identity. >> well, it's good to have you here. you say you're in the witness protection program because you've been out there on the issue of how we fix our national deficit. as you well know, we face the fiscal cliff, a series of tax hikes and spending cuts that many people think if they go into effect will put the country into recession. yet we heard the treasury secretary tim geithner say the president is willing to see the country go off the fiscal cliff if republicans do not accede to his demands. >> it's probably pretty real. but you can't get to where we need to go by cutting spending, that won't cut it. you're going to destroy a

fragile economy. you can't get there by taxing your way into it and you can't grow your way out of this. you have to have a blend. when you have leaders of parties and people from the administration saying i think it will be to the advantage of the democrats to go off the cliff or i think it will be advantage to the republicans to go off the cliff or the president to go off the cliff, that's like betting your country. there's stupidity involved in that. this is big-time stuff. >> let me ask you about a report that some republicans now are perhaps willing to see the tax rates rise to some degree on top earners in exchange for later getting a better deal on some of these spending cuts. but tieing it to that vote to raise the debt ceiling basically saying that debt ceiling vote is our point of leverage. do you agree with that approach? >> when they get to that, they'll do the same blood letting they did in august. that's the way that will be. but you can't get there -- the threats going back and forth, you know, we're going to do this, we're going to go off the

cliff. let me tell you, there's a group out there that doesn't care about democrats or republicans or presidents, and there's people we owe $16 trillion to. and they see us as a dysfunctional government. we are a deficit -- we're in deficit of $1.1 trillion, if that isn't a stimulus, the drinks are on me. that's what that is. and unless you get in there, people are going to say, i've got an idea for you, you're addicted to debt, we're going to loan you more, and when we do that, interest rates will kick up and inflation will kick in and guess who gets hurt the worst? the middle guy, the middle class. >> it's not thee yatrics on the part of congress, but they're confused. isn't that pathetic? >> i don't know, a lot of people are confused, especially the people who don't understand what's coming before december 31st. what's different is they dug

their own snare. they put the chain on their own ankles, they have to do something before december 31st, before you get a mindless cut of $600 billion in defense. you've got the payroll tax you've got to bring back from 4.2 to 6.2. where the hell was the aarp when they cut the payroll tax? madness is half a word. these guys if you gave them 90% of them a profit loss statement in one hand and a balance statement in the other, they wouldn't know how to read it. same here. >> if anyone were to doubt your commitment to this issue, i have to show a clip we saw on the internet recently. this is -- >> i don't want to see it. >> yeah, this is you doing gangnam style. >> stop instagramming your breakfast and tweeting your problems and getting on youtube so you can see gangnam style. ♪

>> well -- >> care to explain? you're trying to reach young people, i guess this is as good way as any. >> i thought the guy said pretend you're riding a horse and -- let me tell you. you have to reach young people and you have to reach the people with the www.fixthedebt.org. the can kicks back. these are young people. let me tell you, the young people aren't organized. the senior citizens are so well organized, they've got the aarp, the committee for the preservation, the silver head legislators, the pink panthers, they are organized and they don't give a whip. this younger generation better learn to take part or get taken apart. >> perhaps gangnam style is the way to get through them -- >> well, i'm not going to dance that thing again. >> well, we do have the music cued up. >> what? >> i'm just saying. >> i'll do it with you. >> i don't need that much provocation. senator alan simpson. just a little laugh, though?

>> yeah. >> 7:16, we send it over to matt. >> apple is the world's most valuable company, and its future has been a focus for a lot of speculation since the death of steve jobs. tim cook is now in charge at the helm for just over a year. he opened up to nbc's brian williams in his first television interview since taking over as the ceo and revealed a big change coming to apple. >> why can't you be a made in america company? >> you know, this iphone, as a matter of fact, the engine in here is made in america and not only are the engines here made in america, but engines are made in america and exported. the glass on this phone is made in kentucky. and so we've been working for years on doing more and more in the united states. next year, we will do one of our existing mac lines in the united states. >> let's say our constitution was a little different and president obama called you in tomorrow and said get everybody out of china and do whatever you

have to do, make these, make everything you make in the united states. what would that do to the price of this device? >> honestly, it's not so much about price, it's about the skills et cetera. over time, there are skills that are associated with manufacturing that have left the u.s. not necessarily people, but the education to stop producing them. >> that's sad. how do we get that back? >> well, it's a concerted effort to get them back. and with this project i've talked about where we will do a mac in the united states next year, i think this is -- this is a really good step for us. and the consumer electronics world was really never here. it's not a matter of bringing it back, it's a matter of starting it here. >> good morning, thanks for joining us here. >> while steve jobs liked to avoid the spotlight, he also thrived on it. as if he was selling products that were pieces of his own

soul. he was inventor, pitch man, and new wave pied piper all in one. tim cook is just a different guy. while he believes in the almighty product just as much. >> how are you not steve jobs? >> in many ways, one of the things he did for me that removed a gigantic burden that would've normally existed is he told me on a couple of occasions before he passed away to never question what he would've done. never ask the question what he would do, to just do what's right. >> brian williams' conversation with apple ceo tim cook. and you can see much more of that conversation tonight on rock center at 10:00/9:00 central time right here on nbc. and we'll go back to london where the duchess of cambridge is now resting at kensington palace as hospital officials deal with fallout from the embarrassing prank call that got through to the hospital. michelle kosinski is with us

once again. good morning. >> reporter: you know what? the more you hear of that phone call, the more incredible it seems that anyone, anyone could take those callers seriously. today the deejays themselves are stunned and apologizing while kate recuperates at home. duchess kate spent nearly four days in the hospital comforted by prince william. last night her sister pippa, brother james, and her mother. the hospital, though, still reeling from being seriously punked by two australia deejays. >> you are going to be the queen. >> this is awesome. >> i'm going to be prince charles. >> i'm the queen. >> simply dialing up this very private hospital. >> are they putting us through? >> yes. >> if this worked, it's the easiest prank call we've ever made. >> good morning, this is the nurses speaking. >> hello, i'm after my

granddaughter kate. i want to see -- >> she's sleeping at the moment and she's getting some fluids to rehydrate her because she was quite dehydrated when she came in. >> when is a good time to come and visit her because i'm the queen and i need a lift down there. >> reporter: it only got worse, yet continued to work. >> difficult sleeping in a strange bed, as well. >> yes, of course. >> nothing like the palace is it, charles? and when are you going to -- >> reporter: this morning the deejays are apologizing as themselves. >> wow. >> yeah. what was meant to be a simple prank call with very terrible accents with the expectation of being hung up on has turned into something huge. >> and tweeting, we're very sorry if we caused any issues for kate or the nurse. the performance getting terrible reviews from the hospital. >> i'm not impressed. i have to say. our nurses are caring

professional people trained to look after patients. not to cope with journalistic trickery of this sort. >> reporter: well, it's suspect that the deejays are saying they only meant to wish her well. they're calling her at 5:30 in the morning, what would they have done if they'd been patched in to her. put her voice on the air while she's ill in the hospital? coming up, a new scandal at penn state. offensive activities at a party, and a security crisis at a major hotel chain. rossen reports investigation reports on how thieves are gaining easy access to your room. first this is "today" on nbc.

coming up, why some restaurants are loud as a passenger jet taking off. and john travolta and olivia newton john teaming up.

living with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis means living with pain. it could also mean living with joint damage. help relieve the pain szli ctions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. ctions, before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores.

you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your rheumatologist about humira, to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage before they stop you. 7:26 is your time now on this thursday, december 6, 2012. good morning to you, i'm eun yang. breaking news on the beltway. tony tull is live at the scene with an update. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. dealing with major traffic delays. take a look behind me. the overturned tractor trailer from an earlier incident this morning. on board, pineapples, assorted produce. they brought in a tractor to load and unload a new tractor trailer. this is not going to be cleaned up until 11:00 this morning. that is the latest from the beltway. danella sealock over to you. >> it is a mess. you are seeing delays as you approach i-270.

new hampshire looks like if you are traveling the outer loop of the beltway. i suggest you avoid the beltway all together. heavy volume. here is a live look at route 1 in virginia. to get from quantico to the belt ♪ [ man ] we've been in the business over the course of four centuries. [ woman ] it was a family business back then, and it still feels like a family business now. the only people who knew about us were those in new england, that moment that we got our first web order... ♪ ...we could tell we were on the verge of something magical. all of a sudden it just felt like things were changing. we can use this to advertise to bakers everywhere. [ man ] browns summit, north carolina. crescent city, california. we had a package go to kathmandu once. the web has been the reason

this entire section of the warehouse exists today. we were becoming more than this little flour company in vermont. [ woman ] we're all going after one common goal, which is to spread the joy of baking throughout the whole world. ♪ ♪ ♪ good morning. i'm tom kierein. below freezing in much of the area this morning. quite a bit of sun. highs reaching mid-40s by mid afternoon. cold tomorrow. a lot of clouds around. rain sprinkles during the afternoon. over the weekend, a slight chance saturday. a greater chance on sunday. milder over the weekend. >> this afternoon, the first family will flip the switch for the lighting of the christmas tree. actor neil patrick harris will

be there. watch for live coverage on nbc 4 and online, www.nbcwashington.com. see you in 25 minutes for another news update.

♪ well, you loved them in "grease" 34 years ago, and now john travolta and olivia newton john have teamed up for a christmas album, including this original song which is called "i think you might like it," apparently not everyone does like it. how some people are reacting to it this morning. there are critics everywhere. 7:30 now on a thursday morning, i'm matt lauer alongside savannah gurthrie. >> they can do no wrong in my book. >> one of the original "grease" fans. >> exactly. coming up, are you safe in your hotel room? maybe not. we're going to show you how easy

it is for thieves to get past that lock on your hotel room and ask the question, is there anything being done to prevent it? then, if you feel like you're shouting every time you go out to eat, you're not alone. a lot of restaurants seem to be getting louder and louder, sometimes just doing an unbearable level, we'll explain that. plus, we were all shocked by that chilling story last christmas. a woman who lost all three of her little girls and her parents in a house fire on christmas day. well, this morning, we'll catch up with her, find out how she's doing one year later. but we want to start this half hour with a new controversy on the penn state campus. this time it involves a sorority. andrea, good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. and goes without saying, this is a school that does not need more negative press right now. but a sorority on campus making headlines for taking an inappropriate photo at a party. many are calling it highly offensive to the nation's

fastest growing demographic. >> reporter: it's a picture worth 1,000 apologies. these penn state sorority sisters had some explaining to do after posing at a mexican themed party complete with mustaches and signs reading "will mow lawn for weed and beer" and i don't cut grass, i smoke it. >> didn't anyone at the sorority think possibly this type of party and this type of action would offend the hispanics and fellow students. >> reporter: the chapter publicly apologized for the photo that went viral. the sorority's national headquarters says it is investigating possible sanctions and provided this statement on wednesday. "personal degradation has no place in our organization, even if such behavior is meant facetiously or in jest." adding, we would be doing our members at penn state university a disservice if we did not take an opportunity to turn this negative experience into a teachable moment. it is a teachable moment that comes at the expense of

america's fastest growing minority group. hispanic americans make up 16% of the population and are projected to double in size by 2050. a surging power, hispanic americans have considerable influence on immigration reform and a decisive voice in national politics. without exception, almost every american minority has suffered the rough edge of cultural insensitivity at some point. on film -- >> everybody knows you people are lazy -- >> -- on tv and on college campuses. recently these baylor students dressed up wearing signs that read green card and climbing over a wall that some say resembles a border fence. >> there is one place we should be concerned about political correctness, it's in our institutions of higher learning, that's where we're preparing young people to go into society. >> for these penn state women, their most important lessons may have come outside the classroom.

>> penn state officials say they've investigated the matter and are appalled by the students' insensitivity and lack of judgment. however, school officials say the students and sorority will not be disciplined because they have a right to free expression, but officials there hope this will also teach them lessons. >> thank you. let's get a check of the weather now from mr. roker. >> today's weather is brought to you by kay jewelers, every kiss begins with kay. it's a chilly morning here in the northeast, but a good portion of the country still looking at fairly warm weather. the jet stream way up to the north. so we have above normal temperatures throughout much of the country with the exception of the northeast where there's h the exception of the northeast. look at what happens over the weekend. the jet stream takes a dip down to the south. the plains see colder air. banked up into the northeast, the southeast and the gulf coast. as we get into next week,

there's a big dip in the jet stream. we are looking atmore normal temperatures, strong jet stream and we may see storm systems along it bringing snow. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. stone cold thursday morning. good morning. yeah, we are down into the 20s in much of the region. we are going to hold steady here for a couple hours. the sun is up in a partly cloudy sky. highs reaching mid-40s this afternoon with a light wind. overnight tonight clouding up. a cold start tomorrow. another cold day. highs in the 40s and 50s. a slight chance of a sprinkle. a slight chance on saturday. a very small chance but milder. get that weather any time you need it. go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. this morning on rossen reports, what insiders are calling a new security crisis at hotels nationwide. a breach that could leave you vulnerable during your next

hotel stay. today jeff rossen is here with more on this. doesn't sound good. >> no, it's not, affects a lot of us, of course. staying in hotels. when you lock your hotel door, you assume you're safe and your stuff is safe. think again. thieves have invented a simple device that can actually unlock doors in potentially millions of hotel rooms at some of the most popular chains. the hotel industry has known about this problem for months. so why haven't they fixed it? >> this man is about to break into a hotel room. no kicking in the door, no fancy tools. instead, he's using this cheap homemade gadget to pop those electronic locks. and in just seconds he's in. we booked hotel rooms in new jersey where he did it again and again at this hyatt place. >> the only difference is i'm putting this underneath, door's open. >> we're in.

>> yep. >> at this ramada and double tree hilton. >> another hotel. >> another chain. >> same result. >> this security flaw so alarming even hotel managers are stunned. >> that's absolutely insane. >> the man breaking into rooms is jim stickley, a security expert working with us. the device he's using is so small, thieves can hide it in a magic marker. >> first thing you're going to do is plug -- >> reporter: and criminals are learning how to make it watching videos like this posted online. >> do you have to be a computer wiz to build one of these? >> no, just go online, you could do it in half an hour. >> all thieves have to do is plug it in and acts like a master key. even bypassing the dead bolt giving criminals access while you sleep. these locks are some of the most common used in hotels worldwide. millions of rooms may be

affected. >> the moment i opened the door, i felt violated. >> reporter: she was ripped off in houston. her laptop, her jewelry all stolen. >> my heart just dropped. somebody had, you know, been in my space. somebody has been through my stuff. >> reporter: police say it was this man, matthew cook who used the same kind of gadget at several hotels. now charged with felony theft, he pled not guilty. so what's being done? the hotel industry and the company that makes the locks have known about the problem since july. says it has broadly communicated available solutions, but five months later, we found this country inn and suites still in the dark. we showed the general manager. >> were you aware of this problem? >> no. >> she says no one ever alerted her to the issue. >> what are you going to say to them? >> i want all my locks changed. >> in a statement onity says

safety is the highest priority and all customer requests for these solutions have already been fulfilled or are in the process of being fulfilled. onity has given some hotels a free plastic cap to cover the port. the industry says they work, but not our expert. >> they're silly. they're basically a temporary fix at best. >> can a criminal still get through that? >> absolutely. takes a screwdriver and a minute. >> onity is also offering to upgrade the locks for a price. but many hotels haven't done it yet. >> we're working on a solution to it. >> reporter: joe is president of the industry group representing hotels. >> bottom line, the hotel industry has known about this problem for five months and while you and onity works out who's going to pay for what, doesn't that leave hotel guests vulnerable? >> not really. because we have extra security in a lot of the hotels. we're really looking at this as a number one priority -- >> what about the hotels we

visited? we were able to get in, why can't a criminal? >> a criminal might be able to get in and -- but, you know, we really believe it's important for people to realize that they are secure in a hotel. >> reporter: but are they? he says they've hired an independent company to figure out the best solution and that takes time. >> months, weeks? >> i can't tell you. i don't have a crystal ball. >> but victims say that's not enough. >> they need to fix these locks because if not, somebody's life could be in jeopardy. >> we reached out to all of the hotels in our story, hyatt told us they have new security measures in place but wouldn't tell us what they are. the other hotels either referred us back to the industry group or did not respond at all. how do you protect yourself? experts say use the security chain on the door. and if you leave your room, keep your valuables in the safe, matt, or take them with you and

don't keep anything in the room. >> shocking how easy that is. >> it's been a long time since they've known about this. coming up next, can you hear me now? the reason it's become so loud when you go out to eat. and more men doing house work. or does it just look that way on tv? we'll get into that right after this. [ female announcer ] it's the moment when forever begins. kay jewelers presents the ring that lives up to the moment. neil lane bridal -- from hollywood's premier jewelry designer. the setting has to be perfect. it's where the diamond lives. [ female announcer ] uniquely beautiful, hand-crafted rings. with diamonds hand-selected by kay. the newest reason kay is the number one jewelry store in america. neil lane bridal. forever begins here. ♪ every kiss begins with kay

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back at 7:44. if you like going out to dinner and who doesn't? you may have noticed something about the restaurant scene these days, it's louder, much louder. and in some places, as loud as a jackhammer or subway train. what is this noise all about? here's nbc's mike taibbi. >> it's not your daddy's restaurant business anymore. more hard surfaces, open kitchens, fewer table cloths or curtains, less space between tables, and less comfortable chairs. and all that noise. this is a frame. >> i want yo uh to feel like you almost stumbled into a hub and we wrapped ourselves around you. >> reporter: but it makes conversation a challenge. >> for me, not quite normal.

i feel like i'm raising my voice. >> you're not at all. you're not at all. >> reporter: yeah, i was. it's loud here. this sound level meter says it's about 90 decibels. think a lawn mower or a 747 taking off. diners are complaining about noise more than anything else except bad service. reviewers and restaurant rating sites are now listing noise levels, a mini crisis to bon appetit. and restaurant architects acknowledging the move to industrial seat design and rooms that feel alive are working not to eliminate noise but to manipulate it. >> to appear more of a collage

that's pleasing. >> i wanted that holy grail of buzzsy, but conversational. >> reporter: here there are sound-absorbing panels taking the bounce off hard surfaces. and this, yes, there's an app for it. a computerized way to control, not just the sound level in different sections of the restaurant, but to customize the way those sounds are heard. it's a barely noticeable matrix of microphones and speakers that collects the noises of a crowded restaurant and then washes it all back out in kind of a soothing white noise bath. still, there are restaurant owners and restaurant goers who like it loud. but for those who complain they just can't talk -- >> usually if they're saying that, we'll turn up the music so we can't hear what they're saying. >> reporter: if i heard him right, i think he was joking. for "today," nbc news, los angeles. >> an idea whose time has come. i can't hear a thing in

restaurants. >> you do -- i have a difficult time having a conversation because i can't pick out your voice in the midst of all that noise. >> i'm the say way. and i lean in and i'm like, what? what did you say? >> exactly. >> our kids are -- >> they like that? >> yeah. enough noise at home. >> i've had whole conversations not knowing what i've said. i just started nodding -- >> same here. >> but enough about the show. >> and scene. coming up next, john travolta and olivia newton john's christmas video that has a lot of people talking this morning. ♪ [ male announcer ] watch out, casanova. there's a new ladies' man in town, and he knows to shop at walgreens during the holidays. we have great gifts at great prices, online and in the store. so you're sure to find something for that special someone -- even if you have several special someones.

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christmas." take a look. ♪ ♪ ♪ think you might like it >> well -- >> what do you mean well? how do you just say well. >> some people think it's cheesy out there. >> did they see "grease"? >> that's what i said. oh , yo

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7:56 is your time now on this thursday, december 6, 2012. good morning, i'm eun yang. an update on the accident on the beltway. danella sealock has the latest. good morning. >> good morning. the outer loop at the split is blocking the right lane. delays are about nine miles jammed from i-95 as you make your way toward i-270. that trip is going to take you about an hour. expect delays until at least 11:00 a.m. i want to shoot to i-95 in maryland southbound. jammed from powder mill road. trying to get on the beltway is a tough

december sure acting like a winter month now. good morning. we are down into the 20s in most of the region. we have sunshine and clouds coming through. by mid afternoon, mid-40s. cloudy tomorrow. another cold day. a chance of rain sprinkles during the afternoon. a slight chance saturday and greater sunday. >> thank you. tune in tonight to watch the first family. they will

8:00 now on this thursday morning, it is the 6th of december, 2012. and it is beginning to feel a lot more like christmas. christmas seems a little chillier temperature, we're experiencing out here this morning on the plaza. a crowd full of smiles. and we say good morning to them. i'm savannah gurthrie alongside matt lauer and al roker. and what is coming up this morning? >> well, we're going to revisit a woman that we talked to about six months ago. she was part of an unspeakable tragedy. last christmas day madonna badger lost her three daughters and her parents when a house fire engulfed their home in stanford, connecticut. we talked to her about six months ago at an extraordinarily

difficult time in her life. we're going to catch back up with her and see how she's been doing over these last six months and how she is looking toward the future. >> must be a hard time of year for her. we look forward to catching up with her. on a much different note, ann curry has traveled to middle earth to get a fantastic interview with the one, the only peter jackson. a rare interview with him. he's going to show us revolutionary ways he's bringing the hobbit to life. and whether you've noticed it, a lot of advertisements now seem to be targeting men. they call it the mansumer. even some for diapers and all those things people used to call women's work. madison avenue catching up with changes that have already happened in the home. we'll talk about that coming up. >> all right. before we get to all that, let's get inside. natalie? >> good morning again, matt, savannah, and al. president obama and house speaker john boehner could be off to a fresh start in their efforts to avoid the looming fiscal cliff. the president resumed discussions with boehner on wednesday. however, treasury secretary tim

geithner kept up the tough talk telling cnbc the administration would let automatic spending cuts and tax increases take effect if republicans refused to raise tax rates on upper income americans. secretary of state hillary clinton and russia's foreign minister are holding surprise talks today on the deepening crisis in syria. the u.s. is concerned that syrian president assad's regime is on the verge of releasing chemical weapons against its own people. allies want assad to step down to prevent bloodshed. russia is syria's strongest ally. so support for any plan is critical. search and rescue teams are still finding survivors two days after a powerful typhoon bopha struck the southern philippines, but the death toll has climbed beyond 375, and hundreds of people are still missing there. survivors include a 3-year-old child pulled from under a crumbled house and a man who lived for two days eating

nothing but coconut. kate, the pregnant duchess of cambridge left the hospital where she was being treated for severe morning sickness. michelle kosinski is in london with the latest. good morning to you, michelle. >> reporter: after at least four days of this severe, relentless form of morning sickness, she now feels well enough to return home. and prince william has been at her side every day. today they left together. kate looking a bit tired but managing a smile and holding roses that the staff had given her. the palace says she will now head to kensington palace for rest. they want to thank the staff at the hospital for the care and treatment the duchess has received. >> thanks. and now for a look at what's trending today. our quick round-up of what has you talking online. 110 lucky canadians will soon be smelling like college dorm rooms. they've won bottled of limited

edition perfume that, yes, you heard it, smells like pizza. part of a social media based campaign by pizza hut's canadian brand. well, this video from collegehumor.com, calling out instagram addicts everywhere. ♪ everyone look at my feet get jealous i'm at the beach ♪ ♪ probably knew i was going there ♪ >> the parody of nickelback's "photograph" has inspired a twitter movement urging users to come clean about their own insta gram abuse. and six acts received six nods apiece. kanye west, jay-z, frank ocean, fun, mumford and sons and the black-eyed peas, but the highlight of the night was taylor swift was beat boxing while l.l. cool j. sang her hit song "mean." >> i can't sing. so we're even.

>> nashville. >> some day i'll be big enough so you can't hit me and all you're ever gonna be is mean. >> well, she wasn't nominated for any hip hop tracks, but "never ever getting back together" was nominated for album of the year. she does have talent as a rapper. let's go over to al with a check of your weather. >> "today's" weather brought to you by scrabble catch phrase, now it's a party. >> and good morning. it's a brisk morning out. everybody's nice and toasty, right? where are you from? >> iowa. >> so you're used to this. >> yeah. >> let's see what we have. what you are used to around the country. you can see we are expecting to see rochester kttc morning showers giving way to morning sunshine, a temperature of 45

degrees. usually, we have wet weather pushing its way through the upper mississippi river valley bringing icy conditions, showers through southern florida and also leftover wet weather and mountain snows in the pacific northwest. sunshine in the gulf coast. rain and snow showers in the rockies. sunny but chillier than usual the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. good morning. still below freezing. temperatures around the region are still, even after sunrise, hovering in the mid to upper 20s in most of the area. as the day progresses, we'll have a chilly day. mid-40s by mid afternoon. lots of sun. clourds coming and going. a cloudy pattern friday through the weekend into the first part of next week. a cold day tomorrow. a slight chance of rain sprinkles. saturday, a slight chance and a bit milder. a ♪ all right. have you heard of this new

online trend? it's called throwback thursday. >> nothing like whip 'em out wednesdays. we've had problems with that. >> hey, where are we going with this? >> okay. throwback thursday. every week celebrities and regular folks take to twitter and share memories of the past. they do it with the hash tag throwback thursday. it can be anything. so we are deciding to get into the act this morning. matt, you're first. >> one of our producers came to me and said what do you want to throw back to. there's this photograph from asperry park, new jersey, and it's me and the boss. part of an interview we did with him back as he was about to release "the rising." and i looked at the picture. i said, first of all, i like it because i have more hair -- >> that is a really cool picture. >> incidentally, that's also matt's christmas card every year. you're next miss natalie. >> mine, i'm choosing a quote,

it's a voice of our generation and many -- >> wise -- >> do i have to say it like him? >> yes. >> do or do not. there is no try. >> i'm channeling yoda. >> you sound like you need miralax. >> i tried. i'm sorry, yoda, it was terrible. >> yeah, i don't think the quote -- actually, i do believe in trying. so i disagree with yoda, just pointing out. >> all right. al roker? >> after the passing of dave brubeck yesterday, take five, and i remember as you were talking about, my parents played this album to death along with other albums. what i remember really -- my dad saying i want you to listen to this when i was in sixth grade. and it's one of those albums that is part of your life, part of the sound track of your life. >> this song, we hear it all the time over and over again.

this song is currently throughout "madmen," as well. >> and you chose. >> i said how about fondue? you know, in the '70s? we used to have fondue for dinner and i enjoyed that. >> john travolta, olivia newton john, and melted cheese. >> throwback thursday. up next, have you noticed it why ads traditionally targeting moms are going after men? [music] "dance of the sugar plum fairies" ♪ ♪

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♪ back at 8:13 this morning. "today's" consumer targeting the m mansumer. companies are responding with new ads reflecting the trend. >> it used to be a woman's world. >> notice how clean my sink is lately? >> oh, yeah. looks great. >> cleaning -- and making the house a home. >> klear, the floor wax that dries clear as glass. >> while the men stuck to taking out the trash. but that's not the case anymore. according to data from the bureau of labor statistics and the university of maryland, men today do roughly 50% more housework than they did in 1965. ♪ what a man >> and madison avenue is taking note.

>> we asked real dads to put them to the test. >> more and more popular household brands are now targeting mr. mom in their ads. whether it's a man caring for the kids -- >> press the button, do this, bingo. >> -- or scrubbing the floors, ads are recognizing a change in the division of labor at home. so are we witnessing a revolution or just savvy marketing? donny deutch is the chairman of deutch incorporated. good morning. >> good morning. >> are we seeing a real trend? >> i think you're seeing an idealized version of a trend. you look at the drew brees commercial. he's obviously not a stay at home dad, he's a football player, we know that. they're not as much marketing to men, they're marketing to women an idealized version of men. the trend is moving in the direction, more men are doing more chores around the home, more of a modern family. but they're still targeting women in the ads.

>> in other words, they're trying to appeal to women by having a new more modern view of what the home is like? >> yes, so you see the dad with the cheerios, the dad is still not the main purchaser of cheeri cheerios. in my home, i'm still not the one shopping for it. i knew -- i know you were going to say something about it. but i think it's a more charming image. so even when you see the men cleaning, it's not necessarily they're doing the majority of cleaning, it's basically 2/3 of the women doing it. off camera, al roker said to me, yeah, finally, it's not the idiot dad in commercials. we're so used to seeing, dad can't do anything. now we're seeing a competent version of men. and that's a good thing. >> and i don't want to overstate it. but sometimes advertising is one of the things that influences culture, influences what happened. is this one of the things -- >> i think it holds up a mirror to who we are.

so it's really showing once again what we want the home to look like now. everybody pitching in whatnot. but i still don't think it's a depiction of what's really happening versus much of what women idealize their men to be like. i think that's what we do, hold up a mirror to the best of what we can be. it's interesting, looking at those old commercials. >> love them. >> there's something magical although we're in those horrible roles -- i don't know if there's something -- i'm going to get in trouble. >> we're out of time. you wish you lived in that time. we know, we know. the original madman. coming up next, we're going to take a turn and talk about the connecticut mother who lost her parents and children in a terrible christmas day fire. we'll ask how she's doing one year later after this. lashawn's got her christmas list. she's looking for a fijit at toys "r" us.

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back now at 8:19. a woman recovering from a heartbreaking holiday tragedy. last year on christmas morning, a house fire claimed the lives of madonna badger's three young daughters, lily, sarah, and grace as well as her parents. when i spoke with her six months ago, she was in the throes of enormous and unimaginable grief. this morning, madonna is with us to talk about how she's doing now. it's great to see you. it's nice to see you smiling a little bit. how are you doing? >> i'm doing really well. i'm shocked that i'm doing okay. but i'm doing really well. >> last time i talked to you, you said when you smiled or when you laughed you immediately felt guilty. >> yes. >> do you still feel that way? >> no, i don't feel that way. i mostly don't feel that way because when i do feel happy, when i do feel joyful, it's when i can feel the presence of my children and my mom and dad the most. >> i want to talk to you about that. because in talking to our

producers and you talking to them over the last couple of days, you said that you feel very strongly that over these last several months your daughters have been sending you messages. and i want you to be able to explain that. >> you know, i had -- i've seen my children in my dreams. when i pray, i see my children. lily came to me very early on and said don't worry, mommy, i'm right there in your heart and i love you. and once when i was having a level ten, the worst sort of cries, feels like blood is coming out of my eyes, sarah came to me in the mirror and she said, mummy, there's nothing to be afraid of. everything is going to be okay. >> okay. so these messages, these visions they have helped you go on? >> absolutely. i mean, honestly, i thought i was delusional, i thought i was a little nuts, but then i read "proof of heaven." >> he's been on the show. >> who is fantastic. he sat down with me a couple

weeks ago and had a cup of coffee. >> you've also been through professional help? >> yes. >> you've done a lot of therapy before finding the right kind of therapy. >> that's right. >> you admitted to me you contemplated suicide. >> absolutely. >> do you have those thoughts anymore? >> i don't. i don't. i don't have those thoughts anymore because mostly i don't know what would happen if i did that and i don't want to risk not being with my children. and so after being in three different mental institutions, my friend kate finally took me to the psychiatric research institute at the university of arkansas in little rock. and dr. smith, the director there was the first person that could really describe my grief and not treat me like i was a schizophrenic. >> you talk about your friend connecting you there. and you have -- i think we have to stop and remind people that when most folks go through tragedy they lean on their family. >> yes. >> this tragedy took the lives of your entire immediate family. >> yes.

>> so you have relied on a network of friends both here in new york -- and by the way, a lot of them are here this morning. i think more than 100 of them are out on our plaza this morning to show their continuing support of you. and in little rock, arkansas, where you've been living, there are some gathered there this morning. talk to me about what these people have meant to you on a daily basis. >> you know, these people have showered me with so much love. and given me hope. and i never felt judged. i never felt -- you know, i always felt like they were there for me. and through a million cards and texts and e-mails and dropping into my house and certainly my friend kate and jeff that let me come and live in their house for four months. you know, when i was gray, i was half my hair had fallen out. i was a disaster. and they made me promise i wouldn't kill myself. and they brought me back to life. >> on a more serious note, your

ex-husband gave an interview recently. and he talked about the fact that, a, he thought your daughters were placed on this earth for a reason and perhaps taken away for a reason. he also talked about the stages of grief he has been through. and he said at times he wanted to kill you and your boyfriend at the time of this fire, michael borsina who is the man officials believe placed the ashes there that caused the fire. how did it feel to hear that? >> i thought that was perfectly normal, you know. his response, i would have felt the same way. i certainly felt the same way. so i don't judge matthew's grief. i don't judge the journey that he's on. and in fact, i'm incredibly proud of him for what he's done with the lily, sarah, and grace fund. and i plan on turning over all of the money that was donated to the other 364 foundation to the lily, sarah, and grace fund. >> i want to ask you -- we're a couple of weeks away from christmas. families around the world will

celebrate. how are you going to mark that day? how hard will it be? >> every day is hard. christmas day, the first birthdays, mother's day, easter, every day is hard. i'm going to go to thailand. it's santa claus free zone and i'm going to go work in an orphanage there with young girls who have lost their families, little girls. and bring toys from my garage that belong to my children. and so -- you know, i'm going to pray and meditate and be with my kids and love them and do the very best i can. >> it's nice to see you again. and although i know it's still a really difficult time, it's awfully nice to see you smiling a little bit more. >> thank you. >> we appreciate you coming by. >> thank you so much. >> it's now 8:25, we're back with more of "today" right after these messages, your local news, and weather.

breaking news at 8:26. an overturned tractor trailer is causing problems on the outer loop. here is danella sealock with more on that. >> good morning, richard. this is going to last until about 11:00 a.m. outer loop past i-270 the right lane is blocked. big delays. the beltway is jammed. delays start at college park and georgia avenue, 10 miles per hour. let's talk about this time traveling the inner loop of the beltway. a crash at indian head. it's on the shoulder. the delays are from 414 down to the wilson bridge. [ telephones ringing ]

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good morning. it is a cold morning, certainly feeling like wintertime. most of the region in the 20s. from the mountains to the beaches. the sun has been up for a couple of hours. as we look at the forecast for the next couple of days, afternoon highs into the 40s. tomorrow just near 50. a lot of clouds tomorrow. a chance of a rain sprinkle. only a very small chance

saturday. could get rain on monday. richard? >> today marks the 90th annual christmas tree lighting. doug k

♪ it is 8:30 now on a thursday morning. it's the 6th day of december, 2012. our holiday toys drive continues with one of our favorites around here. that is pat moynahan. moynahan who is here collecting toys as our elf this morning. and we're going to talk to pat a little later on as he continues, though, to rake in the goods out

on our plaza this morning. i'm matt lauer along with savannah gurthrie, natalie morales, and al roker. we're going to talk to the duo responsible for "the hurt locker." they're out with a new movie already being talked about for best picture at the oscars, already racked up a lot of awards. and we're going to talk to the director and jason clark, they're all here, we'll speak to them in a few moments. remember, selma and kenny? just a terrific couple. married for 70 years, they made an internet video on the keys to keeping their marriage happy. well, they've got a new video out, their unique words of advice and wisdom coming up. >> we love them. also coming up, ann curry sits down with the legendary film maker peter jackson. she gets a sneak peek at the magic behind the movie to create the hobbit and some of the other "lord of the rings" trilogy. there you go. the green screen.

>> good outfit. all right, we've got a lot to get to. first, how about a check of the weather? >> i'd love to go to middle earth. i'm so jealous. for today, we'll show you we're looking at sunshine in the northeast, a little on the chilly side. l look for wet weather along the southeastern atlantic coast, more rain and snow, pacific northwest, fog, southern california, windy conditions, and rainy and icy in the orthern u.p. of michigan. look for a lot of rain to the mid mississippi and ohio river valleys tomorrow. rain in the pacific northwest. snow in the western plains. lots of sunshine in the gulf coast. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> still cold. good morning. around the region, we have temperatures for the most part below freezing. most of west virginia, virginia and maryland. around the bay and the potomac, it's above freezing. later today into the 40s with clouds coming and going. clouding up tonight and a cloudy

period into the first part of next week. a chance of sprinkles tomorrow and chilly. milder over the weekend. a few more sprinkles on sunday. showers are likely monday. >> and that's your latest weather. >> excellent weather report, al. thank you. coming up next, the oscar buzz and some of the controversy about the new movie about the hunt for osama bin laden. we are going to talk to the stars. but first this is "today" on nbc.

and we're back now at 8:35 with a new movie called "zero dark 30." a story of the decade-long hunt for osama bin laden and the elite team of operatives who worked to track him down. take a look. >> there are two narratives about the location of osama bin laden. the one that you're most familiar with is that ubl is in a cave, that he's surrounded by loyal fighters.

the second narrative, that he's living in the city, living in a city with multiple points of egress and entries, access to communications so that he can keep in touch with the organization. you can't run a global network of interconnected cells from a cave. >> the movie reunites the oscar-winning team of director/producer katherine bigelow. with us along with two of the stars. good morning to all of you. nice to see you. >> good morning. >> it's a hollywood movie, maybe not a typical hollywood movie. it's a movie, not a documentary. how much of this is exactly real, based solely on facts, how much is the hollywood version of what happened? >> well, i'd have to say that it's based on firsthand accounts. so if what you see is a fairly accurate rendition of what happened. but it is a ten-year hunt compressed into 2 1/2 hours. and it really shows that journey through the eyes and ears of the

intelligence community on the ground and in the middle of that hunt. >> but did you add elements or take away elements simply to make the story tell itself better and to enhance the characters? >> i would jump in on that and just say as you know, this is a pretty naturally dramatic and exciting story. it's in some ways the greatest man hunt in history. so you don't have to really put too much top spin on the ball. and we were fortunate enough to be able to bring the story to life. >> let's talk about. i mean, before this movie was even close to being finished, there was some controversy. peter king came out, the chairman of the homeland security committee and said that he wanted an investigation from the cia and the department of defense to find out whether you guys were given classified information in the researching for this movie. and a lot of people were very concerned about that. so let's ask. did you get classified information from the administration in preparing for this movie? >> no. i mean, we did a lot of homework as i hope is evidenced on the screen when you see the movie.

and i hope people go see the movie and judge for themselves. but it's an election year and people say things in that process. and now that we have a movie that is actually going to be in theaters soon, i think people will see we didn't come with any agenda at all. >> i think one of the things they're going to be surprised at one of the center characters, perhaps the person most responsible for finding where he was hiding was a woman, the character you play, mya. what did you think of her? >> well, when i first read the script, i was shocked that a woman played a central role in it and then i was upset at myself that i was so shocked. why wouldn't a woman play a central role to it? it helps when your script writers and investigative journalists. three months before we start shooting to basically go to school. >> did you get to meet her? >> no, she's an undercover cia agent. >> was there pressure bringing her to the screen knowing she may be watching your portrayal

of her. >> or sitting next to me on a bus. >> she could be running the camera in here. we don't know. >> yes, there's a lot of pressure. because whenever you play a real life person, especially a woman i think as wonderful as mya, you don't want to do it wrong. but with this script it was hard to do it wrong. >> jason, we meet you early in this movie and it's tough. you are a cia caseworker and you are conducting interrogations, brutal interrogations of terror suspects that include waterboarding and putting dog collars on these suspects and, you know, exposing them in front of other people. how do you even prepare to do something like that? >> you just throw yourself into it. i love the way they threw us straight into the world of these people that we follow. people are doing the job. and as an actor, i wanted to do justice to the men and women that served in this story. >> and in one of the early

confrontations or discussions you had with a terror suspect you say to him, i'm not your friend, i'm not a nice guy. you lie to me, i'm going to hurt you. it's inevitable people are going to sit in the movie theater, katherine, and they're going to ask themselves if they think it was justified, if the ends justify the means. do you want to make a political statement with this movie? >> well, i think the film doesn't have an agenda. i think it just shows the story as -- you know the story of the greatest man hunt in history. that's part of that history. we needed to, you know, basically show all the pieces of that puzzle. and -- >> you want people to discuss that topic more? whether these kind of enhanced interrogation techniques are justified? >> i think it's a controversial topic already. and i think we're aware of that controversy. and we're not trying to score points in it. but hopefully people judge for themselves. and the people i've spoken to that have seen the movie have said it's kind of an edge of your seat thrilling film. that's not bad. >> my hope is that people will

see the movie, enjoy the movie, and judge for themselves. >> do you believe in kind of trends? i think the last time you were here, you were here as you found out you were nominated for best director for "hurt locker." are we going to get a phone call soon? do you think this movie has a shot for best picture? >> you know, i only just finished it ten days ago, so it's sort of hard for me to shift gears and think in those terms, but it would be an honor and be very gratifying. i hope people go and see the movie. >> i think a lot of people are going to see it. jason, jessica, mark, katherine, thank you for being here. and "zero dark 30" opens december 19th in new york and los angeles. new advice on grandparenting from the couple who taught us how to have the perfect marriage in the first place.

back now at 8:43 with what

it takes to be a good grandparent. this morning, we're going back to our experts. we first met kenny and salma when they posted their tips on their grandson's website audiocasset awkwardfamilyphotos.com. here to break down their advice, family and marriage therapist. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> let's agree at the outset, there's no one size fits all definition of a good grandparent. >> good grandparent bonds with the grandchildren and backs up the parents. >> we should say they've been married not only 72 years, they have four grandchildren, five great grandchildren. the first thing they tackle is how to make your grandchildren happy. take a look. >> when it comes to your grandsons or your granddaughters, you will allow them to do whatever they want because you want to make them happy. you don't want them to be sad. and you tell them, okay, but

don't tell mommy that i let you do it. >> that's right. we tell them to keep quiet. >> okay. i love that. they're the experts. is that okay? don't tell mommy and daddy? >> it's okay to bend the rules a little bit. because if it's just a cookie before dinner that's going to ruin dessert, that's okay. we all need a little indulgence. >> it's like a common enemy. they're kind of united against us and paint us as the bad guy. i think they share secrets together, all right, and there's a direct relationship they have with one another that's not going in between us. the reality is, they can't spoil your kids. they are not more powerful than you as a parent in terms of the influence. >> is there anything kind of weird for kids when they hear an adult say don't tell this person or that person? is that a burden on the child? >> you know what? if we're talking about i broke curfew and you're keeping that secret, it's dangerous, but generally grandparents are safe people because they have perspective. i trust them to know when to

bend the rule, when to toe the line. >> the next question about picking favorite grandchildren. we'll take a look. >> never, never, never pick a favorite. >> that's right. >> make sure you treat them all the same. >> you can talk on the side between the both of us, we can talk which one is better, but we don't allow the other person to know that we favor this one or we favor that one. >> well, actually, nobody is better than the other one, you know, they're all the same to us. >> i don't know what's going on here. so it's like selma's saying you can't have favorites and he's like, you can, just don't tell them. >> well, let's be honest. we have people we like to be around more than others, even among our kids. my kids know i like my daughter more than i like my son. >> no, you do not.

>> no, i'm joking, i don't like either one of them. it's okay, when they get older, it's okay to let them know, we absolutely love you, but there are behaviors you do that make it harder to be around you. >> and that's different than saying, therefore, i favor this other child. >> i have to tell you. there's a place i disagree. favorites wreak emotional havoc not with the grandchildren, but with the parents. when you babysit more for your daughter's kids, your son and daughter-in-law are bitter. that's a problem, don't show your cards. >> you're with selma on this. >> we're of like minds. >> i misspoke, it was kenny saying secretly you can have one. finally they have a clip about embracing technology. >> as a grandparent, don't be afraid of computers. i sit there and i enjoy getting -- >> you're right. every time i look for her, i

can't find her. she's always at the computer. she said don't do the dishes, i'll do them, and she doesn't go in and sits a the the computer and i have to do the dishes at night. >> i feel like we kind of got off track there. okay. the main point is, it's great if you can interact with your grand kids. >> it is essential. and technology is connection. your grandchildren, they speak skype, they speak text. speak their language. >> and my kids have eight grandparents, all right. because of divorce situations. and the ones they are closest with are the ones who are able to use technology more. so we encourages all of our parents to get on technology because it's the way our kids speak and communicate. that gives them a bridge of connection, again, when they can have a connection that's directly to them. >> you have to figure, if selma can do this, i can do this. >> selma's apparently on that computer all day long and the dishes are just sitting there. all right. great to talk to you. thank you so much. and coming up next, ann

heads to new zealand for a rare and revealing interview with the hobbit director peter jackson. [ male announcer ] this commercial is not about getting fios; it's about getting fios. that moment after you finally got it, that you actually get it. when you can see blades of artificial grass in their full glory, you get it. or the first time you download a two-hour movie in two minutes, you get it. because once you've got it, you get it. [ female announcer ] it's faster. it's better. so, what are you waiting for? now you can get fios internet, tv and phone for just $79.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two year agreement. act now and we'll add a special bonus -- $300 back. it's an amazing holiday deal. don't wait, this is a limited time offer. fios brings you internet ranked the fastest in the nation, and the best tv picture quality. it's 100% fiber optic, 100% different from cable. get fios for an amazing price online, just $79.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two year agreement. and don't forget your special bonus -- $300 back. or get this great price with no annual contract. hurry. this holiday deal ends soon.

call the verizon center for customers with disabilities go to verizon.com/greatdeal today. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. that's verizon.com/greatdeal. and see why millions have chosen fios over cable. ♪ as you might expect, fans are anxiously awaiting the release of "the hobbit," it's the prequel to the "lord of the rings" trilogy. expectations pretty high. that means the pressure's on for

the director peter jackson. ann curry traveled to his hometown of wellington, new zealand for a rare and exclusive interview. >> reporter: you may not recognize his face, but you can't help but know his movies. sir peter jackson. yes, he's a sir, is the creative genius behind blockbusters like "king kong" and "lord of the rings." now a decade after he directed and co-wrote "the ring's" trilogy, now comes "the hobbit." >> why did you fight so hard to keep the filming of this movie, "the hobbit," in new zealand? >> i've always wanted to make my films here. i just regard myself as a new zealand film maker. i don't feel compelled to go somewhere else in order to do what i want to do. >> reporter: he's been able to build an entire movie-making industry five minutes from his home in wellington complete with

high-tech special effect facilities, giant sound stages and a state of the a production house. it's even where "the hobbit" had its world premiere. >> you were credited with bringing hollywood to new zealand. so much of it wellington is called wellywood. wouldn't it have been easier to go to hollywood than bring hollywood here? >> not necessarily, it's easier to make your films if you have your own little world. i didn't leave my parents' house until i was 26 years old, and i don't want to leave the country. and if i can make films in new zealand and continue living here, then i think i'm the luckiest guy in the world. >> the visual power of peter jackson movies have caused some to ask just how did he get that on screen? >> go. >> we came to new zealand to get a glimpse at how he does it. and he took us into a studio and into his world of movie magic. >> i recognize this scene. >> he showed us advances in

performance capture, which he helped pioneer. >> as he's moving, that's what's happening on screen. how does that work? exactly. >> all of these guys are covered in these dots. and you can see the spoon he's got has the points on, as well. so each of these -- and if i take it away, you see, i don't have any dots on me so i'm not being recorded, but the spoon still is. >> it's floating there. >> it's floating. >> jackson also showed us how he captured actors playing characters at vastly different heights. to do that, he invited me on screen with him. >> oh, you want me to be gandolph. all right. >> and i'm bilbo and i'm standing here. if i look at you directly, it's not going to work. what i have to do is if i look at the screen and point with my hands and i'm looking -- that's where you are there. >> i see. >> so i get a mark up on the ceiling up there. the way that it works, we're

being shot with two separate cameras. one camera is a lot lower, so you're immediately looking bigger because the camera's at a much lower height. i'm looking up at you at about there. >> and i'm looking down at you right there. >> so this is your purpose. >> reporter: helped make "the hobbit" one of the most technologically advanced films of our time, building on innovation and creativity he began over a decade ago. he has devoted a fourth of his life to bringing to the screen. >> reporter: you will have spent 14 years making these "lord of the rings" and "hobbit" movies. do you think you'll look back on these films, these six films eventually as your greatest legacy as a director? >> well, it's an interesting question, because if i said yes, i'm assuming i'm never going to make anything that people regard quite as good as that. but the realistic question that may well be the case. >> what a beautiful place.

you look at the background, looks fake. >> it is a movie set. unbelievable. >> and "the hobbit" opens december 14th. you can see much more of the interview tonight on "rock center with brian williams." and tomorrow here on "today," ann will sit down with the cast of the hobbit in new zealand. >> looking forward to this. >> so excited. >> you're a big fan of "lord of the rings." >> he inhabits middle earth, actually, at all times. >> i'm going there for vacation. >> very nice. >> guys, i have something in my hand that is kind of hot property. this is the starbucks steel card. you pay $450 for this. >> it's real steel. >> it is. and entitles you to $400 worth of coffee for the year. >> it's a collectible. >> it is. it's a wallet show stopper. tell you more about it just ahead. >> talk about take three coming up.

breaking news at 8:56. an overturned tractor trailer is causing problems on the outer loop. here is danella sealock with more on that. >> good morning. the crash happened earlier this morning involving the tractor trailer. blocking the right lane. the entire outer loop of the beltway jammed all morning long. you are at 10 miles per hour as you make your way past georgia

avenue. i-95 in maryland as well. southbound it's hard to get on the beltway. here is a live look. jammed to the beltway. richard? >> thanks, weather is up next. stay with us

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good morning. as we approach 9:00, temperatures just above freezing. low to mid-30s. mid to upper 40s in a few locations. sunshine and clouding up tonight. a cloudy period. slight chance of sprinkles tomorrow and saturday and sunday. then likelihood of rain on monday. richard? >> thanks. today marks the 0ith annual christmas tree lighting. doug kammerer will be there. you can se

we're back with more of "today" on a thursday morning, the 6th day of december 2012. pretty, but chilly day here in the northeast. this doesn't seem to bother the people who have gathered on the plaza. we're happy about that. we've joined them. i'm matt lauer along with savannah gurthrie, al roker, and mr. willie geist. we have roused hoda kotb a little early this morning. >> there we go. >> she's been up a little late. we should mention that. and among the topics hoda will be weighing in, the grammy nominees. also ahead, if you have an idea for a new product but you're not sure how to get

started, we'll ask our friend solei moon frey. they actually had an idea, put it together, made it work despite the hectic family schedules too. and we've got gift ideas for women with style. everything you need from beauty products to fashion accessories, all for $100 or less. >> that sounds good. as parents, i think we all agree we make judgment calls every day. how about disciplining someone else's kid. maybe someone's over for a play date. do you impose your values and rules on that child? how about sharing family financial problems with your own children. we'll tackle some of those questions with real moms just ahead. but first, turn to your left a little bit, we have pat moynahan here, the front man for the grammy winning band train and also served as our hollywood elf a little while ago. >> good morning. >> before we talk about train, talk to me about this event you went to last night. >> yeah, last night we did like more of a bring attention to sea

bright, new jersey. you can go to seabrightrising.org to donate. that place has been really leveled. 100% of the businesses are gone because of hurricane sandy, and also 70% to 80% of the residents cannot come home. so they're just trying to do their best to just get it back up and running and we're just trying to bring attention to it. >> you're nice to do that. >> we understand with a fan video, actually, that led to you getting involved. >> yeah, a girl named charlotte who is a 10-year-old girl from new jersey and, you know, new jersey, new york, huge parts of our lives as musicians that have given us this chance. so we owe it to them. >> doing great work. meanwhile, your career, man, you guys are doing incredibly well. you really are. >> welm, we're pretty amazing. >> that's what happens. >> you do say so yourself. it's always good to have you here, pat.

>> always good to be here. >> all right. have a good holiday. mr. roker, we'll have much more ahead, but first, let's go inside, natalie's got a check of the headlines. u.s. officials tell nbc news that the syrian military is prepared to use chemical weapons against its own people as president assad's regime is on the brink of collapse amid that country's civil war. the syrian military has loaded precursor chemicals for deadly nerve gas into bombs and they're now awaiting final orders from president assad. it's a high-stakes game of chicken on capitol hill as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are standing their ground on the plans to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. treasury secretary tim geithner says the administration will allow the nation to be slammed by tax hikes and spending cuts in the new year if the republicans do not agree to raise taxes on wealthy americans. the gop slammed geithner's comments as, quote, irresponsible. a new york city homeless man has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a man pushed in front

of a subway train. 30-year-old naeem davis being held without bail. he has several prior arrests and served two years in prison for robbery. on wednesday, the victim's family spoke out. his daughter said she wishes someone would've helped her father off the tracks, but said, quote, what's done is done. a candle light vigil in evansdale, iowa. on wednesday, hunters discovered two bodies that are believed to be missing cousins 11-year-old lyric cook and 9-year-old elizabeth collins. they were last seen in july. they disappeared while riding their bikes. kate, the duchess of cambridge has left the hospital this morning, the pregnant wife of prince william had been receiving treatment since monday for a rare form of extreme morning sickness. kate now heads to kensington palace to rest. and a new study out of oxford recommends that breast cancer patients who use the drug tomoxifin stay on it twice as long as doctors recommend.

>> reporter: the studies should improve the outlook for hundreds of thousands of breast cancer survivors, including emily who takes a common estrogen blocking drug. researchers found that women who take tamoxifen for five years had a third less chance of dying from the disease. but the risk was cut in half if they took the drug for ten. >> it's significant. it couldn't be a chance finding. the study had nearly 7,000 women from 36 countries. and so it's based on big numbers. >> reporter: 3/4 of women with breast cancer, her tumor was estrogen positive, meaning it is fueled by the female hormone. after surgery and radiation, doctors put her on tamoxifen to reduce the chances of the cancer coming back. in the united states, women past menopause usually get more powerful inhibitors, but the doctors say the results mean that all women with estrogen positive tumors should probably be getting some drug for at least ten years.

she is fine with her treatment continuing. >> cancer is something i think about every day and just keep taking it would be fine with me. >> tamoxifen has possible side effects from hot flashes to blood clots and increased risk in endometrio cancer. for today, nbc news, san antonio. and power to the pedestrian. if you're in brazil and you stop your car in a crosswalk, you're going to get a surprise from the local gym. keeps them in shape, keeps their friends in the clear, and might even scare the driver into watching those white lines. no crossing the crosswalk there. it's now six minutes after the hour. let's go back out to al with a check of the weather. i bet they can parallel park better than willie geist. >> we know that. that's for sure. we've got a future parallel

parkers here. they've all come down to see the tree and enjoy the weather. you having a nice day? >> yes! >> all right. lelet's check your weather. see what we have going on for you. we have wet weather in the pacific northwest. the frontal system bringing icy conditions and rainmaking its way through the mid mississippi river valley. wet weather down the eastern florida coast into the southeast atlantic coast. look for rain and snow showers in the great lakes and into the central rockies. fog along the gulf coast and the southern california coastline as well. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. good morning here. we have a lot of sunshine. it's still cold. it's barely getting above freezing in much of the region. later today, we climb into the 40s with sun. clouding up tonight, near freezing tomorrow morning. a cloudy day on friday. a chance of sprinkles tomorrow with a high of 50. on the weekend, milder. there's a very slight chance of

sprinkles saturday, maybe fog in the morning. a greater chance of sprinkles of rain on sunday. showers monday. drying out, cooling down after all right. now to today's "take 3," where we take on stories that have us and you talking and look who's here. >> who? >> hoda kotb. >> wow. >> in an hour early. what was it like? >> it was a little weird. i didn't know there was a show before ours. hey. >> all these hours before 10:00 a.m. >> no one told us. >> you have to be sober for all of them. >> we're boozing upstairs. >> you didn't bring us any wine. isn't that a courtesy. >> there's a bottle, but we're saving it. willie's going to co-host with me at 10:00. >> i'm kathie lee's understudy. playing the role today. our first take this morning. grammy nominee, hoda huge music fan, we know, painfully some days as she sings on the air. a handful of artists got the

most nomination at six, kanye west, jay-z, fun, frank ocean, kind of a newcomer on the scene, blew up this year, and mumford and sons. >> in some regards. >> favorite band, hoda kotb. >> well, i like fun. i kind of just got on to them. but all of the bands are eclectic a little bit, aren't they? i like song of the year. >> we just had -- put that up again. the song is -- >> very important. >> "call me maybe's" on there. >> we're excited about that. how about where is -- wait a second, where's the taylor swift song? we are never ever -- >> gonna nominate that song. >> drives her crazy. >> i don't like it. >> i liked it. >> that is not a good song. >> that gets in your brain. >> exactly. >> do you like it? >> i love "call me maybe."

>> you just alienated about 25 million people. >> i know, sorry. >> it was nominated, right? >> not in that category. >> so those who were not nominated, though, interesting, i guess, no justin bieber. >> no bieber. no one direction. thought they might get a best new artist kind of thing. do we have a favorite song of the year? kelly clarkson "stronger," fun, "we are young." ♪ we are young >> that might be mine. ♪ whatever kills you makes you stronger ♪ >> that's a great like -- >> i'm excited they nominated the theme to the a-team. >> that's right. >> oh, it's not the -- >> it's a little more folksy sounding, more british. >> oh, shucks. >> i would vote for that one. i love the a-team theme. >> these men promptly escaped from a maximum security stock

aid to the los angeles underground, wanted by the government, they survived as soldiers of fortune, if you have a problem, if no one else can help, if you can find them, maybe you can hire the a-team. >> wow. >> thanks, rain man, appreciate it. that was impressive. that was oddly impressive. let's go to take two. i know you talked about it for a second. this is the starbucks card. okay. but it's not any card. it's the steel card. costs you $450. >> what? >> and gets you $400 worth of credit at starbucks, they say it costs $50 just to produce the thing. >> i'm sure it does. just like it takes them $7 to make a cup of coffee. >> and it affords you certain privileges. >> what else do you get? >> you get gold status, which means you start to get free products if you buy enough. you know how it is. >> so it's a membership with privileges. >> we took our show to seattle once that starbucks serves vino.

>> it's always back to the wine. >> no, i'm giving you information for this hour. >> you have the blue steel card. >> let me ask you this, in defense of the product -- in defense of the card, if you drink starbucks every single day, this covers you for half a year. >> ten weeks. well, if you do a latte a day -- >> did you do the math? you're so smart. >> speaking of rain man. >> what's the conclusion? what do you get? >> ten weeks of coffee, that's not enough. >> that's what the conclusion is. >> and i want the other $50 too. >> yes. >> you're spending the money anyway and get all the privileges. >> oh, the privileges. >> that's fantastic. the privileges. >> and did i -- >> look at our pearl lined toilet because you have the steel card. >> you do impress the ladies when you have that card, though.

>> do you really, though? >> if you're taking your date to starbucks. >> all right. we've got to get to our take three because we have a special guest on the phone. we've seen a lot of these around the holidays where people light up the house and put music with it. let's watch this from idaho. >> oh, my god. >> is the music emanating from the home? >> no, it's on a radio station. >> you just see the lights. you don't hear it. >> the house is on risers so it bounces up and down. >> we've got these guys oen the phone. from idaho, joining us now, scott and his son zach. good morning. >> good morning. >> how is the neighborhood feeling? >> well, most of our neighbors don't mind, but a couple do.

>> but the music is played through a car radio. you don't hear it in the neighborhood, right? >> yeah, we have a short-range transmitter hooked up to my computer that will transmit it about 1/2 a mile. >> you do this for a good cause though, right? >> what is you're asking to do when people come to the house. >> we do it for the meridian food bank. >> so you're asking people to bring food when they come to view the lights, the light show. >> yeah. >> we think it's cool. >> talk to me real quick. electric bill this month. what are you looking at? >> well, we are on level pay for the whole year. so we don't get a huge bill in december. >> you run an extension cord to your neighbor's house, right? >> that's the way to do it. >> all right, scott and zach, the christmas lighthouse in iowa. >> take it easy.

>> don't pull an anderson cooper, okay? >> he got lit up -- >> no, he's a lightweight. it's embarrassing. up next, solei moon frey on how moms start a business and raise a family. ♪ just put a little bit of yourself ♪ ♪ in everything you do [ female announcer ] add your own ingredients to hamburger helper for a fresh take on a quick, delicious meal.

it's one box with hundreds of possibilities. some aerosols may just mix with them. can febreze really remove them? we asked real people what they thought. take a deep breath for me. describe the smell. it's very pleasant. fresh. some kind of flower maybe? remove the blindfold... awww, oh yuck! i didn't smell any of that! febreze air effects doesn't mix, it actually removes odors. [ laughs ] wow, that's incredible. just another way febreze helps you breathe happy.

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[ female announcer ] nature valley granola bars, rich dark chocolate, toasted oats. perfect combinations of nature's delicious ingredients, from nature valley. ♪ nature valley granola bars, nature at its most delicious. ♪ this morning on "today's" moms, we reached out online and found three moms busy raising their families while creating their own businesses. soleil moon frye is here to tell us about them. good morning. >> hi. >> you got a lot of entries. >> yes, we had so many people on "today" and moon frye come on and share their stories. it was incredible. very excited. this is an amazing woman who has the online and gift registry.

>> christy taylor, mother of three children from gainesville, florida, is one. tell us what you started. >> well, it was an e ppiphany a few years ago. i was in the toy store along with gifts to purchase, and looked for a digital solution and didn't find one. so -- >> show her how it works. >> it's called -- tell me how it works. >> it's a website and a mobile app. the website has a tool bar feature that you add to your browser any time that you're surfing the internet, simply click add to monkey wish. >> so you create -- >> any time you're on any other website like toys "r" us, click -- >> you're like this is what i want. >> now, you're a mom of three. you had no technology experience really whatsoever. so how did you start doing this? >> it was very scary. i can't lie about that.

but it was just something that i was passionate about and did a lot of homework and research, and just went for it. >> can you show her how cool it is? when you actually. how amazing -- >> it's a mobile app. you click on this. >> you simply scan any bar code. >> scan it. >> and then it will give you the list of all the places that you can find it. >> that's exactly right. >> it's fantastic. >> and it's not necessarily retail affiliated, every retailer in the whole wide world that has that item available. >> monkeywish.com. that's brilliant. well done. >> i love this -- >> this is another one i'm in love with this, as well. mother of four children -- sorry, i'm going to stand right here. mother of four children ands sonia, you have a great story. mother of four. and you founded this incredible company that designs these beautiful clothing for children. tell me what was the inspiration behind them. >> such a big family. >> to talk about my clothes is

to talk about where i'm from. i was part of a military family. my mom and dad were stationed in puerto rico. so i was born in puerto rico, raised in hawaii, my dad's black, mom is mexican, and my husband's korean. so we just have culture. so what i did was i designed clothes. growing up, there weren't really kids like me. but now our kids are like these global citizens. so i just wanted to celebrate the different cultures. so i'll grab fun fabrics and each one will come with a tag that kind of explains where it's from. >> and what's the name of your clothing line? >> mixed up clothing. >> look how colorful and bright they are. >> let's get over to our last one, soleil. finally, we have casey. soleil you actually -- >> casey wrote in to me. i was so excited to hear from you. and she has little artsy. and tell us about it. when you look at these kids' artwork, don't you want to hang it? >> i can't believe this is created by a child. >> i know. well, i am an artist and i love

kids. i have a huge heart for people, and it was just the perfect combination to open an art studio in dallas with my team family. >> the kids come in and you kind of tell them how to create masterpieces like this one, right? >> take them step by step. and we want to focus on the process not the product. we want them to be inspired and have fun and feel safe and build their confidence but not worry so much about the end result -- >> i would just display this in my home. this is fantastic. ladies, to all of you, beautiful creations, great job. really, really inspiring. >> if anyone can be a momtrepneur. >> we're become right after this. nine days till christmas

and eddy said the toys might not be ready! eddy? the elf! ♪ [ radio announcer ] today's forecast: it's snowing snowballs and snow bricks out there... seven more days and it's snowing snow bricks! oh, well, be careful! [ radio announcer ] only two days to go, and several of the elves were tossed around when they tried to wrap a pony. [ female announcer ] the keepsake countdown ornament. build anticipation every day till christmas. elves tried to wrap a pony! of green giant vegetables it's easy to eat like a giant... ♪ and feel like a green giant.

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only chex mix is a bag of interesting. just ahead, improving your man style. you guys don't need this. >> after your local news and weather. [ doorbell rings ] ♪ [ female announcer ] just for these hectic holidays, mccafé brings you rich peppermint mocha and peppermint hot chocolate. the simple joy of unwinding. has oats that can help lower cholesterol? and it tastes good? sure does!

wow. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? be happy. be healthy. breaking news now. overturned tractor trailer is causing problems on the outer loop. here is danella sealock with more on that. >> thanks, richard. watching this tractor trailer at the split for i-270. delays are nine miles out. once you get to georgia avenue, you are slow as opposed to being jammed. 295, steady delays in d.c. toward the 11th street bridge. back to you, richard. >> weather is up next. >> weather is up next. stay with[ phone rings ]

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good morning. we have bright sunshine. in the 30s for much of the region. later today into the 40s. clouds around. a cold start to the afternoon. highs in the 50s. saturday, a slight chance of

sprinkl sprinkles. richard? >> tom, thanks. today marks the 90th annual christmas tree lighting. do

have you ever been on a road trip? >> well, i go on a lot of road trips with my husband. >> you do? >> yeah, we bought a truck with a bench seat so you can sit next to each other. >> that's the legendary barbara streisand. >> can you imagine you're driving along the interstate and there's james brolin and -- >> barbara talking about how she likes spending time with her husband. she sat down with savannah to talk about everything from her new movie, happens to be all about hitting the road and much, much more. we'll have that for you tomorrow on "today." i'm willie geist along with al roker and natalie morales. coming up this morning, let's face it, some guys need a little fashion help. this morning, the folks at "gq"

to give you stylish tips to dress up your guy to go to hollywood parties. >> from stylish guys to stylish women in their lives, jewelry, clothes, to beauty products. everything you need to know gifts she'll love for $100 or less. as a parent, you're trying to figure out things as you go. we've got good advice from real moms on when is it okay to share bad news with your kids or maybe to say something a little more negative about them, as well. we are so overcoddling with our kids sometimes. >> there's another good one in there about disciplining other kids. if it's your house, handle that situation. >> my house, my rules. >> i'm with you on that. >> i'm with you on that too. >> your rules for weather. >> weather does rule. first of >> weather does rule. today, sunny skies. chillier than usual. wet weather. icy conditions in the northern great lakes. more wet weather in the pacific northwest. sunny skies in the gulf coast with fog along the texas

coastline. tomorrow, more snow in the western plains. rain in the mississippi river valleys interior sections of pennsylvania. showers in the pacific northwest. mild in the southwest. showers in southern the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. good morning. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist tom kierein. temperatures just above freezing. it's still cold. bright sun, not a lot of wind. later in the 40s. cloudy tonight. near freezing by dawn. 50s tomorrow afternoon is the average high. scattered sprinkles. cloudy through the weekend. milder on saturday. might get sprinkles sunday. greater chance of showers and mild on monday. after that, we'll cool down and clear out. that's your latest weather. and as you know, we're in the middle of our 19th annual toy drive. so far it has been a terrific success. >> we've already sent nearly $15 million worth of gifts to kids across the country. and this morning's donations are heading to family services in

washington, d.c. and of course, we couldn't do it without you, our viewers, and companies. good morning, sharon. great to have you with us. what? six years now? >> six years we've been providing products for the toy drive. >> and stride right does such an amazing job to help us out. tell us what you're giving us in terms of donations. >> over $7 million to the "today" show foundation and over the past six years we've given over $12 million. so that's really, you know, across the globe to all children in need for new products which is something that's very important, as well. >> you've got the light-up shoes, which is really what all any kid wants or needs. in my experience. >> absolutely. and as we were talking about a little earlier, even adults want light-up shoes. these shoes are a lot of fun. they're "star wars" shoes that allows you to be the jedi. >> oh. >> good guy, bad guy.

>> how you feel that day. you decide whether you're a good guy or bad guy. which i know not all little boys are always the good guy. >> or little girls. >> or girls, thank you so much, al. we are so pleased to be able to work with this organization. and we also work with a fantastic organization called kids in distress situations to ensure we get all of these new products and needs to kids around the globe. >> so people can go online and find out about that, as well? >> well, yes, in fact, today at strideright.com, we're going to be helping victims of hurricane sandy in giving away a pair of crib shoes for everyone who goes online up to $100,000. >> great, sharon. thank you so much. >> we're pleased to be able to do it. >> and if you want to donate to the toy drive, head online to today.com. coming up next, tweaking your man's style for the holidays right after this. i love the holidays. and with my bankamericard cash rewards credit card, i love 'em even more. i earn 1% cash back everywhere, every time.

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shame, shame, shame. ooh, slippery, ooh! uh, let's ditch the cha-chas and get down to business. pine sol - a real clean. no gimmicks. ♪ this morning on "today's style." how to upgrade your man's style. whether you're going to a party or dinner with the in-laws. some simple tweaks that can do the trick. will, good to see you, man. >> good to see you too, will. >> we're going to show a before picture of our model dallas here. this is what he was thinking of wearing to the in-laws, to which you say. >> yeah, maybe not. dallas just got through six months of living in hawaii surfing. he's got the full sleeve of arm tattoos to show for it. we're thinking, you know, maybe there's a way to cover that up but still be yourself. >> tell us what you did with him to hide the sleeves. >> a plaid shirt and cardigan by

tommy hilfiger. and rather than a blazer which can be too dressy, but you want to look nice. this way when you're at dinner with grandma, you're hiding the tattoos, but also looking like himself. >> maybe a good time to hide them just the first time over. $70 for the shirt, $60 for the pants, and the cardigan about $150. >> that's right. >> let's move to the cocktail parties around the holidays. this is what he wanted to wear to the holiday cocktail party. break this down for us. >> yeah, this is amos, he writes for "gq" and the office cocktail look, you know, amos has got really laid back style, so we thought we'd dress him up a little bit. >> here's the before. what's he going for here? >> a shirt with a sweater and pair of jeans. but we think for the office holiday party, you want to be both office appropriate and party appropriate. there's a conservative business suit from h & m, paired with a pink dress shirt and polka dot tie. and you go one from the other

without changing. >> that's the only way to be. let's go to new year's eve. do you go black tie on new year's eve? is that the move? >> a lot of my guys do. they all get dressed up on new year's eve. >> this is jason -- >> yeah. this is jason. >> let's look at what he wanted to wear out for new year's eve. >> jason owns his own tuxedo, which we applaud, but we felt it needed an update. we got one for him from express. comes in at under $500 and fits him much better. the key, we think, if you want to knock your date's socks off on new year's eve, you should own your own tux that's been tailored for you rather than renting, which always gets you a baggy fit. >> by the way, jason's killing that tuxedo right now. what did that cost him? >> $500 for the tux and paired with a white dress shirt. a dress shirt that you wear for the office. >> okay. >> that's kind of the slim, modern way to do it. >> looking good. thanks, man. >> thanks, will. up next from the guys to

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with your red card get an extra 5% off our everyday low prices... plus free shipping. ♪ "today's" holiday gift guide is brought to you by target. dream big, save bigger. ♪ all i want for christmas is you ♪ >> this morning on "today's" holiday gift guide, stylish gifts for the women in your life. they're all $100. very good to see you. >> thanks for having me. >> a leather bomber, you say this is a safe bet fashion wise for women. >> this is great. we've searched high and low for the best gift for women and, you know, we've got them, everything you need from the techieo the fashionista. >> for $100 or less. >> exactly. >> this is less than $100? >> it is. it's $85, it's where motorcycle meets chic. >> and pantone says green is the

color next year. >> exactly. hours ago they announced that. now we've got this wonderful on-trend super, super forward look and, you know, we've seen a lot of colored leather in the fall and that's going to be the same case going forward. this is by ruby and jenna. >> down is usually big and bulky. >> this is very lightweight, at the same time it's very stylish. comes in 20 different colors. and you know, when you want to tote it around, you can use this cute sack. only $70. >> that's a good deal. now for the techie female in your life, you've got great ipad covers. >> right. it's a nice departure. it's different from that typical very hard case. it's from armand. >> a lot of people want to play records. >> many collect them. and this plays three different sizes. you can tote it around, play deejay at home and it's only $85. >> now jewelry? >> yes, these are cuffs all by

stella and dot. a cuff is something you can give to a woman -- >> how do you know? jewelry is an individual thing. >> it is. but there's something for everyone whether the lady is very mod, whether she likes more botanical inspired fashion. there's plenty to choose from. these two are only $32, and at that price, she can do the wonder woman look. >> bag or clutch? >> yes, the clutch, this is a digital jewel print. so it's very kaleidoscopic. and these are box clutches from zara. >> and something i'm not worried about is the little hair clip things. >> yeah, it's a tiny mini styler. even at that size, she can fit it in her purse, you don't sacrifice on the power, heats up to 400 degrees. >> a lot of nail polish. >> women love to experiment and accessori accessorize. >> is the gel thing still hot? >> yeah. still hot. but this is for the woman on the

go. you get 14 polishes for $10. this is from opi, $25 for these ten minis. and then here you get a mini caviar bar. you know, it's a very hot trend right now where you can make your nails look 3d by dropping tiny beads on them. >> great ideas. thanks so much. >> thank you. and still ahead, when is it okay to discipline somebody else's kids? some tricky parenting situations. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ catching my breath letting it go ♪ >> back now with "when is it okay to." as parents, we have to make tough calls when it comes to kids. we've assembled a group of moms to tackle the best way to handle swal situations. dr. lisa thornton is a pediatrician and soleil moon

frye is back with us. ladies, good morning. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> let's get to it. a lot of good topics to talk about. first up, when is it okay to inform the children of financial troubles? now, this is that time of year people are out doling a lot of money, gifts and everything. kids may start to ask about this. let me ask you, dr. lisa first, what is your feeling about this? talking to kids about finances? >> well, i think any time's a great time to begin to help your children begin to be financially l literate. but don't scare your kids. if it's something minor like we cannot afford this particular item, i think that's fine to use those words. we can't afford it. because children can begin to understand there are certain things that our finances don't allow. but if it's something like a home foreclosure where you might be moving, children just need to know they are safe and the parents are going to protect them no matter what. >> good point. >> yeah. >> stacy, i know you had an experience where you were changing jobs and your son was asking about finances. >> he became obsessed with the

mortgage and how was i going to pay it. and he was 7 years old. i don't know where he got that word. >> got a good brain. >> but what i said is, we're going to be fine, honey, i'm looking for a job and i have savings. and that's when i introduced the idea of savings. i say you work, you put money away, don't worry about it. but i think a lot of parents are afraid to say that that they can't afford it and end up getting in situations where they're more stressed out, taking on extra hours. i think what we need to do is step back and really realize what kids really want. it's not stuff, it's a parent. >> that's true. >> great perspective. >> my husband said so, kids, we're going to be teaching about giving back because we went to india and they saw a whole other way of life. so we're going to rewrap your old gifts and they were totally into that idea. they seriously loved it. >> that is a great idea. >> and again, it's about them having that time with you. i didn't grow up with a lot of money, but i never felt like we didn't have a lot of money because we had the riches of each other. >> great points. okay.

let's get to the next topic. when is it okay to tell your children something negative about himself or herself? i think as parents, we always overcoddle. we sometimes tend to overpraise. let me start off with soleil. have you had this conversation? >> i am very honest with my girls. but i always try to also point out their good qualities. so when i'm talking to them about something, i have a first grader who has a lot of, you know, drama that goes on in school and -- >> sure. >> and a 4-year-old that's going through, oh, this is mine. and they're the most amazing girls, i love you guys, but we really try to talk about all the incredible qualities, how loving they are, compassion and kindness and at the same time here's things you can work on. i think just remember to also talk about all the good, beautiful qualities of them and that will help. >> here's things you can work on, right? >> or use examples of yourself. you can say i have this issue and that also -- >> that's a good way to go about it. >> i talk about my childhood a

lot. >> the rationale should be for your kids you're trying to help them build character and you want to tell them what kind of person you want them to grow up to be. any time you're giving correction to behavior or attitude it's because you want them to grow up and be a particular kind of person. i think they want to model that for you. >> i gave her an example of something i did as a kid and she got emotional about it because it made her to have to reflect. i think that's a great way of doing it is showing something from your own youth. >> it's important to give them a realistic sense of self. >> my son has adhd, which means there's a bunch of traveling sensory soothing habits that people call out and notice. and i said beware of it and know sometimes people don't like it. it's great that's who you are, though. >> sadly, you hear the music. we could talk -- but that means we are signaling for the next hour. just ahead, willie's going to fill in with hoda for

breaking news now at 9:57. a crash on the outer loop is causing traffic delays. here is danella sealock with more on that. >> richard, i have been watching this all morning long. this is the outer loop at the beltway. the right lane is blocked by the overturned tractor trailer there. delays are eight miles or so. the good news is now you are jammed from i-95 to about the road then delayed to i-270.

from duke to the bridge, the travel speed, you are at 15 miles per hour. let's head over to tom. >> there's the sky over washington now. nice and blue. bright sunshine. it's cold. temperatures, most areas above freezing. later this afternoon, into the 40s. cloudy tomorrow and through the weekend. milder saturday and sunday. might get sprinkles tomorrow. a slight chance saturday. a greater chance on sunday. monday, likelihood of showers, drying out and cooling down after that. >> thanks. today marks the 90th annual christmas tree lighting. doug kamme

hey, everybody. it is thirsty thursday, december 6, 2012. our friend kathie lee gifford is taking time off, a little r&r, going to get sun in florida. guess who is here? our friend as we call him on this program, big willie. >> you don't say it like kathie lee. >> she says it with a lear in her eye and a bit of something criminal happening. we have these four dolls in front of us. i guarantee you, the young men

who are representative here are not happy with the grammy nom from last night. they got snubbed. willie has a couple of kids who are teen fans of these. could you, and this is a test, could you name each one of these individuals by their doll? >> i'm laughing because the answer is yes. i want to be clear, we have not practiced this. i know this is my daughter's favorite zain. this is liam, your lead singer guy. >> positive? >> yep. 100%. that's niles, the irish guy. is that correct? >> i don't think so. >> that's harry. >> he's dating taylor. >> and this is luis who doesn't get a lot of attention, but i believe deserves more. >> we'll take them down. >> by the way, $29.95.

these are a good deal and they sing. >> you are at the "today" show for about a month. so far you had a storied career. you can judge a man by a month. you went from a news guy to having a little laughing and scratching with the rest of us. >> laughing and scratching. >> would you like to see how your month looked? >> do i have a choice? >> no. >> weird, weird moment just occurred. >> you're going public? >> i was in the vestibule. willie came down the stairs, said, hey, matt, how are you and pat immediate on the tush. >> come in here tight. >> willie, take your time. >> hey, hey! >> give you a head start there. >> oh! >> you know what? you took that off. >> thank you. >> i love it. >> i did tend a little bar.

[ speaking french ] >> i ran out of my french. >> he's fluent in french? >> he's fluent. he and i were in the same town in france at the same time in college. >> are you kidding? >> you've got parallel parking, popping the bottle, popping matt on the rear end. take notice. coming out hot. >> same thing happened to my career. don't worry. we talked about the differences between men and women. they say that men have a much easier time when you're at the mall and you park your car. you go in and shop, come out, tracking it down. they say women have less, i don't know, spacious direct? >> really? i would think the opposite. i think women are more organized. my wife, anyway. i have to do a device.

if we are on level 5 section f, i have to park under the sign with an "f" on it. my friend dennis was number five in high school and add an "f" to it. i'm not the quickest. what about you? >> i don't remember where i parked anything. you know what i realize? i remember less and less about everything. i was in a show and someone sat next to me and he said hi, and you're please, something. i couldn't remember anything about this guy. i felt like i just met him for the first time and i had talked with him and interviewed him twice on our show. >> that's terrible. but you are on tv every day for an hour and interview a lot of people. >> and, and -- >> and the drinking. this is a bourbon with a flash of ginger el. do you hit the remote and hope it hits your car? >> by the way, i want to say i

had a major accomplishment. yesterday morning i decided i'm quitting sleep for a while. i took a bag of chocolate chip cookies and threw them in the garbage. >> did you really? that was a big moment for you. >> i hate myself. i'm so gross. >> what? >> i've been eating sweets like they are going out of style. >> you look like a million bucks. >> i want to see how well i do. >> what is the over/under? three days, four days? >> monday, kathie lee and i are having a cookie. >> five days. >> grammy nominations came out it was eclectic. bieber got snubbed and one direction got snubbed. they did have interesting groups that were in there. probably most bieber fans never heard of. >> frank ocean, black keys, fun, jay-z, mumford and son. that's cool.

jay-z and mumford who is rock-a-billy. >> and fun with the dot at the end. i like fun. i liked taylor swift and l.l. cool jay. they were hosting the nomination party and the show. >> we're even. nashville ♪ some day i'll be big enough that you can't hate me ♪ and all you're ever going to be is mean ♪ >> not the best beat box i ever heard. p all respect to taylor. >> speaking of music that maybe isn't terrific? >> are we going there? >> john travolta and olivia newton john. this is interesting. tease this up. what is this?

>> john travolta and olivia newton john put together a christmas album. they put together a video. a lot of people are talking about it. ♪ let's do the little dance we do ♪ >> the hug and the swirl. >> there is a lot of running. >> how is that for -- that is their dancing. >> and the kids are in it. no, no. >> have they recaptured the magic of "grease?" >> i don't think so. we have an image in our head of "grease." it's corny but such fun. this is corny, too. not as much fun. >> somebody said to fix your brain from having seen that you need to watch "grease" again and

erase what you saw there and let the old "grease" sink in. >> you're going to like my song, i think. i don't remember because i picked it earlier in the week. it's a great one. i included a little carly ray because she was nominated for her song "call me." this is called "good times." ♪ good times >> just happy. you're sitting around in a funk, crank this up. ♪ i'll wake up at twilight ♪ it's gonna be all right "we don't even have to try ♪ it's always a good time >> i have pandora and i watch the videos on vh-1. >> no one gets more excited

about music than hoda kotb in the best possible way. >> i'm the desire of every tween out there. >> and every 37-year-old man. >> and hoda. we've got good news. if you're looking for the perfect gift for christmas, we are going to give away ten 360, 4-g xbox. we'll take ten lucky winners at random. just sign up. you have a chance to win. >> awesome. can we give a big thank you to our wonderful graphics people. you're like a where's waldo back there your gigantic head is popping up. >> coming up, you guys, we'll see how these two lucky ladies look after their ambush makeover. >> our very own sara haines with a one-on-one interview with one direction. get down, sara haines. [ female announcer ] why settle for plain bread?

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we are back on this thirsty thursday with our plaza ambush makeovers. we plucked two lucky ladies and surprised them with our brand-new look. >> here is our resident makeover team, "today" contributor and stylist to the stars, louis licari. >> and of course the great jill martin. >> hello. >> how were the pickings? >> they are getting better every week. closer to the holidays, the tree is up. a ton of people to pick from. as you can see, they are very excited. >> anne keenan looks especially excited, 41 years old from richmond, virginia. she said she's had the same look for as long as she can remember and is thrilled for the opportunity to get a brand-new style. let's listen to her story. >> you're so excited. i saw you hitting your father. >> over and over because he didn't want to come with me this morning. i told him maybe i would get

picked for a makeover. >> so you wanted it. tell me exactly what you want. you told me you're in a rut. >> yeah. i've had the same haircut for a while. i never really know just what i want to do, but i know i want something different. >> i know your husband is watching live. hello. any message? >> just wait till i get home. >> oh, anne, anne, anne. anne is here with a whole brewed here. her parents, her aunt and her kids. keep the blind folds on till i give you the green light. here is anne keenan before let's see the new you. >> ho! >> take off your blind folds. >> whoa. that's different. >> turn around. you look hot. spin around here. >> oh, my god. >> you look gorgeous. >> wow. oh, my god.

>> spin right here. look at that camera. the hair. >> the whole thing. when i saw anne i saw a beautiful woman. she just, i saw all this personality that wasn't coming through her look. we popped out the personality with this brighter hair color. this great haircut. and the pop of make-up. >> guys, what do you think? >> i've got the microphone. that's not the anne i used to know. >> beautiful. that dress is perfect. >> it looks a little like leather, but it's silk with an overlay. it's a comfortable dress by maggie london. she has a party on saturday. everyone wear spanx. it makes any dress wear nicer. >> what do you think? >> i'm amazed. i love it. >> big applause for anne. >> next up from cordova, alaska,

her daily beauty routine consists of watching her hair. that's it. she is so excited she said to get this new look. let's hear her story. >> we had to bully you into this, but now you're ready? >> yes. i'm so ready. >> tell me why you want this makeover now? >> well, i've been working for how many years i think it's time for me to makeover transformation. >> first you said no cut, no color. now what? >> it's about time. it's been like two years i haven't had my hair cut and my hair colored. >> change is coming and your hubby is excited. >> all right. thank you so much. >> and bjorne's husband is here. let's bring her out. let's see it. >> oh, wow! >> looking good.

what did you do here? >> let's take the blind fold off. >> wow. beautiful. >> you've got your own camera. looking good. >> spin right around here. take a look. >> you look beautiful. do you need a kleenex? >> what we did, we saw a beautiful girl who didn't bother with her looks. so again, we shaped the hair around her face. i wanted to give her a little color. because of her skin color and the dark hair color. i kept the color to the ends of her hair so it would still flatter her skin tone. custom make-up. she went from coming from a small town in alaska to the middle of the center of new york city. >> love it.

>> seven degrees in alaska. i did the best i could with what we had. gorgeous leather jacket you'll need to layer up. >> anne, come on out. big round of applause. ladies. >> that makes you beautiful. ♪ [ slurping ] ♪ [ window whirring ] [ female announcer ] the protein effect. special k protein bars and shakes. each with ten grams of protein plus fiber to help satisfy your hunger longer. willpower. what will you gain when you lose? ♪ [ male announcer ] we touch a lot of things throughout the day. so it's nice that clorox disinfecting products help kill the germs that can live on surfaces for up to 48 hours. ♪ feels sweet when i can touch you ♪

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[ bell dings ] ...so crispy so juicy so delicious it's your secret to making dinner disappear hellmann's. bring out the best pop sensation one direction knows how to live and be successful while they're young. their latest album "take me home" has been topping the shots. >> this week they had a soldout performance at madison square garden. sara haines is the envy of every tween and willie. >> you can imagine my excitement when i got a chance to sit down with the british boys, niles, liam, harry and zain. it was the biggest "today" show crowd to date. with fans sleeping on the streets for days for a chance to catch a glimpse and sing along with their favorite british boy

band. ♪ let's go crazy till we see the sun ♪ >> last time we saw you guys you were on our plaza and you had the biggest crowd ever, i think it was 15,000 people. how does that feel? i know you performed in groups like that before. >> when we were on the lower stage you couldn't see that far. when you went up the stairs a, there were so many people. you could see people for ages. it was cold, rainy, and the fans still came out. >> they slept there. >> exactly. >> one of those things where you're quite nervous about doing the show so you're focused on doing well and doing a good performance. actually you come away and think the amount of people in new york city, now that's mad. >> the boys have been working hard and breaking records.

their sophomore album is number one in 32 countries. the moment they knew they really hit it big is during the 2012 london olympics. >> when they announced that the olympics were going to be in london 2012 we were just stting high school. from going there to performing at the closing ceremony alongside when we are looking at the line of the queen, the who, some of these guys that are legends in music, the spice girls making their first appearance back. >> anything when you're meeting up with these people? >> oh, yeah. >> you've got to play it cool. >> one of my moments was when i met jay-z. that was so mad. walking up to jay-z being like, how do you do? >> you thought you were so cool when you said howdy do? >> it was really weird. >> i've never seen him like that before. >> when they aren't singing their own music, there's no shortage of songs they enjoy

belting out. what is the go-to karaoke song? >> "don't stop believing." >> "fly me to the moon." >> girls, you may want to take notes on what these guys look forward to in a lady. >> i look for someone who is cute. someone you can have a laugh with. someone that shares the same interests as me. i would like to be able to take someone to football. >> i like girls that don't take life too seriously and just go with it and not worry. >> sense of humor. if they can laugh at themselves. >> despite their record-breaking success, boys will be boys. do you guys play pranks on each other? >> we stick together when it comes to pranks. someone gets their trousers pulled down. >> are you raising your hand?

>> he's gotten it on many occasion. >> we did play one prank. we wanted to put a sandwich in our manager's bag. we still don't know today if he found it. >> when not pulling pranks, they are prepping for their world tour which kicks off in the spring. despite all their success, the fab five remain grounded and grateful. >> it's amazing and at the same time we feel like we have so much left to do. >> sara is a lucky girl. thank you, sara. >> the best toys for the holidays coming up. >> wine for under $12. i got an idea. kick me in the shin. if i feel it, we know the prices are real. yep, they're real. we've got more rollbacks on toys all december. wait, was that real? [ male announcer ] this christmas, get the hottest brands and rollbacks on the season's hottest toys, like the beyblade destroyer dome,

only $34.96, the nerf elite hailfire, only $29.88 or select playdoh sets, only ten dollars. all backed by our low price guarantee. america's gift headquarters. walmart. aunt sally's singing again. it's a tradition, honey. [ singing christmas carols ] mmmm. [ female announcer ] make new traditions with pillsbury grands! cinnamon rolls.

♪ here comes santa claus >> back on this thirsty thursday with "today's" holiday gift guide. have you checked your list who is naughty and nice? >> what are the must-have toys for good little elves this season? >> you always bring us such goodies when you come. >> you know what's cool today? everything you see here is going to be donated to a charity called kids in distress situations for families affected by hurricane sandy. and all of these companies are sending more toys. there will be about a thousand they can spread out to these areas. we are going to start with this. i'll tell you where you can find these toys, too. this year we saw the launch of

lego friends. it's a construction line with girls in mind. these are stables that come with mia and katherine, their horses. 416 pieces for girls to put together. you can find this as toys "r" us, walmart and target. >> did you say the price? >> i didn't. this is $49. this is the monster high high school by mattel. where our favorite teenage monsters hang out. lockers shaped like caskets. i love the message this sends to girls. it's all about positive tweens and that we are all perfectly imperfect. this is going to be at k-mart. 4 and up. this is k-mart. walmart and target.

>> one direction. heart throb for tweens, teens and moms. >> and women. >> we have our head phones. they are all glammed up. and we have the boom box. it's an am/fm radio and cd player. hand we have our singing dolls. collect all five. you can find them at toys "r" us or target. >> can you believe willie can name every one of those one direction dolls? >> what is the general feeling about a man wearing these, a grown man with children? jogging around central park? no? are they a little small? it's just that they are small or otherwise they are good. >> movies inspire great toys. this is the new command bat phone. >> that's very cool.

>> love that. >> batman and catwoman drove this. you can get this at toys "r" us. >> are you having a good time down there? >> you put these on. i have a set for you, too. these are really great. wrecking ralph is a character in a video game. doesn't want to be the bad guy any more. shake those hands. >> they make noise . >> they are at toys "r" us and walmart. and tablets. we saw the introduction of the leap pad last year. this is for younger kids. it is great. it is a touch screen. kids can hold it and it has so

much great contents, educational music and videos. >> would your 5-year-old use this one? >> for learning. >> this is fun and education. amazon, walmart and target. >> for kids older and the entire family, we have the curio 7. this is a real android device. 4.0. for me, i can put anything on here, but i can also put profiles up here, up to eight. i can determine what sites my kids go to, what apps they go to and how long they stay on and control all of that right here. you will find this at best buy, toys "r" us and target.com. >> this is old school. >> the next level with that cardboard box. this is the discovery kids color and play steam engine. it's recycled cardboard, eco friendly.

you'll find this at kohls in-store only. >> coming up, that bottle of mine. [ female announcer ] can your pancake mix do this? sure, bisquick makes delicious pancakes, but that's just the start. unleash the hidden power of bisquick. see what you can make at bisquick.com. unleash the hidden power you don't disappear at midnight. and now, you've met your match.

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you don't have to spend a lot of money for a good bottle of wine. all it takes is about 12 bucks. >> our friend blind tasted 121 all around the country and compiled six. >> you do some spitting. 120 wines, even if you drink them all you'll be on the phone so you spit. the really good ones, you don't spit. >> what is the difference between $12 and $20? does it matter? >> eight bucks. >> great to have you. coming up next. no, go ahead. >> some of it is production costs, some is how much the land

costs and some is brand identity. you can pay more, same way you pay more for armani than levis. this is a french wine called picpoul from the south of france. southern french wines are an extraordinary value. $9, $10, $11. this translatesed a lip stinger. >> i like that. >> there are great names. there is a portuguese grape called dog strangler. which we don't serve very often. a good wine, you need for the holidays you need a good cocktail party, everybody is going to like it wine. kris pinot grigio.

it's zesty, juicy. >> are you a white wine kind of guy? >> mostly whiskey. >> i haven't done 120 whiskey tastings. >> it's a good time. >> this is dashwood sauvignon blanc from new zealand. >> it tastes like grapefruit. you think should i spend $10 or $40? >> we are in a golden age for affordable wine. the quality of inexpensive wines is really high. this is evodia from spain. $9.99 a bottle, a big, robust

full-flavored red wine. one of the secret tricks of the wine business, if you look on the back of the bottle it says eric solomon selections. one thing is there are importers who act as curators. they only bring in things they love. importers are always on the back of the bottle. without knowing the wine, you know it's going to be a good wine. that is a little insider. >> you didn't love that? >> no, i did. if you're not an expert, there is a $9.99, how do you know it's that one and not sort of a cheap wine? >> partly by tasting a lot. go to a good store. first advice is find a store where people pay attention to you, listen to what you say, listen to what you like. they are not going to try to sell you something that's bad because they want your business to come back. trust those guys. it's good. >> pascual toso, argentine

malbec. that is $10.99 a bottle. holiday buying. you know you're going to pour wine for a lot of people. buy by the case. most stores give you 10% -- you need to buy lots and lots of wine. 10%, 15% is standard. we bought the other day in new york, 20% discount on the case. we paid $7.99 for it. beautiful, southern italian, lots of flavor. >> the motto of the show, buy wine in bulk. that's how they operate. >> what goes better with fine wine than fine music? >> a live performance by marina and the diamonds. take dayquil...announc] [ ding! ] ...and spend time on the slopes. take alka-seltzer plus cold & cough... [ buzz! ] take dayquil. use nyquil d...

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back in 2009, marina and the diamonds released her debut album "the family jewels." it won her an mtv europe music award. >> the welsh singer released her sophomore album that went straight to number one. welcome. >> you've got songs that make you want to get up off the couch and dance like the one you're going to perform for us. you've been clumped up with great artists, lawrence and the machine, katy perry. how does that make you feel as a newcomer, at least on the stage? >> generally annoyed. >> really? >> yeah. >> why? >> it's astounding how much i've been compared to other artists and completely different artists. sometimes it's a compliment. i think it's getting to a point where -- >> you're your own girl. >> i hope i am. >> which of those are you a fan of? >> i love florence. i love katy, i went on tour with

her. yeah. i love anyone who is great. >> what are you going to perform for us? >> it's called "how to be a heartbreaker." >> marina and the diamonds, take et away. ♪ rule number one ♪ ♪ is that you gotta have fun ♪ but baby when you're done ♪ you gotta be the first to run ♪ ♪ rule number two ♪ just don't get attached to ♪ somebody you could lose ♪ so let me tell you ♪ this is how to be a heartbreaker ♪ ♪ boys they like a little danger ♪ ♪ we'll get him falling for a

stranger ♪ ♪ a player ♪ singing i love you ♪ how to be a heartbreaker ♪ boys they like the look of danger ♪ ♪ we'll get him falling for a stranger a player ♪ ♪ singing i love you ♪ at least i think i do ♪ woo woo woo ♪ woo woo ♪ cause i love you ♪ rule number three ♪ wear your heart on your cheek ♪ ♪ but never on your sleeve ♪ unless you want to taste defeat ♪ ♪ rule number four gotta be looking pure ♪ ♪ kiss him good-bye at the door ♪ ♪ and leave him wanting more and more ♪

♪ this is how to be a heartbreaker ♪ ♪ boys they like a little danger ♪ ♪ we'll get him falling for a stranger ♪ ♪ a player ♪ singing i love you ♪ how to be a heartbreaker ♪ boys they like the look of danger ♪ ♪ we'll get him falling for a stranger ♪ ♪ a player ♪ singing i love you ♪ at least i think i do ♪ woo woo woo woo ♪ woo woo woo ♪ cause i love you ♪ girls we do whatever it will take ♪ ♪ cause girls don't want ♪ we don't want our hearts to

break ♪ ♪ in two ♪ so it's better to be fake ♪ can't risk losing love again babe ♪ ♪ this is how to be a heartbreaker ♪ ♪ boys they like a little danger ♪ ♪ we'll get him falling for a stranger ♪ ♪ a player ♪ singing i love you ♪ how to be a heartbreaker ♪ boys they like the look of danger ♪ ♪ we'll get him falling for stranger ♪ ♪ a player ♪ singing i love you ♪ at least i think i do >> marina and the diamonds. congratulations. that's a lot of fun. we'll be back with more of "today" on nbc.

kay jewelers has been contributing cuddly gifts to our toy drive 13 straight years now. >> the vice president of kay is here with two of his friends from st. jude's children's hospital. 12-year-old ethan scott smith and 8-year-old ellen taylor. hi, guys. how are you doing, david? >> great. >> you've been here 13 years in a row. you're part of this family. why do you think it's important each year to contribute? >> every year our contributions, we donate 2,000 of our plush bears, luke and logan. every year the distribution list across the country gets bigger and bigger. it's important to keep that continuity and amazing how many kids are looking forward to it. >> where does the relationship with st. jude come?

sgr. >> we've been corporate partners coming up to our 14th year. thanks to the help of our customers, they buy our plush bears in our kay stores across the country. every penny goes to st. jude's. >> you're from kentucky and you're from mississippi. what do you think of the bear you have, do you like? >> such cute kids. ethan, what do you want to be when you grow up? >> i want to be a scientist. >> scientist, what kind? any particular kind of scientist you're interested? >> help find cures for cancer. >> ellen, how about you, hon? >> i'd like to be a nurse. >> you're doing great work, david. we appreciate it. thanks for coming in and joining us. >> our toy drive runs until december 21st. you can donate in person or go online. willie, willie, thank you for filling in. you're always such fun.

enjoyed the little

[ singing christmas carols in background ] aunt sally's singing again. it's a tradition, honey. [ singing christmas carols ] mmmm. [ female announcer ] make new traditions with pillsbury grands! cinnamon rolls. that's been wrapped in a flaky crust stuffed with a gooey center toasted up all golden brown then given a delicious design? a toaster strudel. pillsbury toaster strudel. so delicious...so fun.